System and method for continuous user identification via piezo haptic keyboard and touchpad dynamics

ABSTRACT

A piezo haptic keyboard and touchpad user identification system may comprise a processor receiving an authenticating user input identifying an authorized user of the information handling system, and a controller operably connected to a plurality of piezo electric elements situated beneath the keyboard. The controller may detect haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters describing characteristics of a plurality of deformations of the piezo electric elements during interaction between the authorized user and the keyboard, and the processor may use machine learning to identify a repeated pattern of values for a combination of the haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters reoccurring during interaction between the authorized user and keyboard. The processor may associate the repeated pattern of values for the combination of the haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters with the authorized user for later, passive authentication of a user based on typing dynamics.

This application is a continuation of prior application Ser. No.16/777,907, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTINUOUS USERIDENTIFICATION VIA PIEZO HAPTIC KEYBOARD AND TOUCHPAD DYNAMICS,” filedon Jan. 31, 2020, which is assigned to the current assignee hereof andis incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure generally relates to a keyboard assembly ofinformation handling systems. The present disclosure more specificallyrelates to identifying an individual user via a piezo electric haptickeyboard personal typing profile determined based on piezo haptickeyboard and touchpad dynamics.

BACKGROUND

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individualsand businesses seek additional ways to process and store information.One option available to clients is information handling systems. Aninformation handling system generally processes, compiles, stores,and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or otherpurposes thereby allowing clients to take advantage of the value of theinformation. Because technology and information handling needs andrequirements vary between different clients or applications, informationhandling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled,how the information is handled, how much information is processed,stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the informationmay be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in informationhandling systems allow for information handling systems to be general orconfigured for a specific client or specific use, such as e-commerce,financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise datastorage, or global communications. In addition, information handlingsystems may include a variety of hardware and software components thatmay be configured to process, store, and communicate information and mayinclude one or more computer systems, data storage systems, andnetworking systems. The information handling system may includetelecommunication, network communication, and video communicationcapabilities. Further, the information handling system may include akeyboard for manual input of information by the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration,elements illustrated in the Figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.For example, the dimensions of some elements may be exaggerated relativeto other elements. Embodiments incorporating teachings of the presentdisclosure are shown and described with respect to the drawings herein,in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an information handling systemaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is cross-sectional graphical view of a piezo haptic keyboardlayer stack according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective graphical view of a piezo haptickeyboard layer stack according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a touchpad stack up for aninformation handling system according to another embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a graphical diagram illustrating a piezo haptic keyboard andhaptic touchpad in an information handling system according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a keyboard and touchpad useridentification system allowing information handling system access to auser according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of creating anauthenticated user personal typing profile according to an embodiment ofthe present disclosure; and

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of continuously verifyingthe identification of an authorized user according to an embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings may indicatesimilar or identical items.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following description in combination with the Figures is provided toassist in understanding the teachings disclosed herein. The descriptionis focused on specific implementations and embodiments of the teachings,and is provided to assist in describing the teachings. This focus shouldnot be interpreted as a limitation on the scope or applicability of theteachings.

Security of personal information, especially information created,accessed, or stored on information handling systems such as personalcomputers is a primary concern to users of such information handlingsystems. One-step security systems, such as password protections provideless secure environments than multi-step authentication systems, orcontinuously authenticating systems. Simultaneously, user demand drivesthe market for mobile information handling systems toward ever-slimmer,more lightweight laptop devices, prompting a need for ever-thinnerkeyboards. In order to decrease the thickness of laptop systems,keyboards employing piezo haptic technology that allows for monitoringof user typing behaviors may be used. A method leveraging thismonitoring of user typing behavior to develop a passive, continuous userauthentication is needed. Further, the piezoelectric function of thepiezo haptic keyboard or haptic touchpad according to embodiments hereinprovide for a wider selection of haptic hardware typing or touchbehavior parameters to be recorded and utilized as identifying factorsnot available in previous keyboard or touchpad systems. Haptic hardwaretyping or touch behavior parameters may include force dynamics ofkeystrokes, force heatmaps across keys of the haptic keyboard, typingpatterns such as location of keystrikes, typing speeds, common mistakes,and pauses or the like, keystroke dynamics including speed of contact orduration of keystrokes among other factors.

A keyboard and touchpad user identification system in embodiments of thepresent disclosure address this issue by associating an authenticateduser with an authenticated user typing profile describing that user'styping or touchpad operation behavior. The keyboard and touchpad useridentification system locks access to the information handling systemwhen the current typing or touchpad behavior does not match that of theauthenticated user typing profile. For example, an authenticated usermay log in to her personal computer, then step away momentarily. If, insuch a scenario, another unauthorized user attempts to use that personalcomputer, the keyboard and touchpad user identification system mayrecord the unauthorized user's haptic hardware typing or touch behavior,determine it does not match the known behavior of the authenticateduser, and immediately lock access to the information handling system. Insome embodiments, additional security factors may be included in theauthenticated user typing profile including detected touch behavior aswell as physical surrounding indicators or application usage dataindicating applications operating. In such a way, the keyboard andtouchpad user identification system may passively, and continuouslysecure personal information stored, created, or accessed on theinformation handling system.

A solid-state piezoelectric keyboard provides a thinner, morelight-weight improvement over traditional scissor mechanism keyboards.The use of piezoelectric elements within the keyboard may eliminate theuse of other devices such as a scissor mechanism that are used tomaintain a keycap of a key above an electrical connection or for a diveboard type mechanism under a touchpad. Instead, such piezoelectricelements may reduce or eliminate those mechanical elements that may failafter a number of actuations while also reducing the thickness of thekeyboard or the touchpad itself. Instead of the keys of the keyboardrequiring travel of a scissor mechanism within a C-cover of theinformation handling system, the relatively thinner keys defined (eitherphysically or visibly) on the solid-state keyboard of thepresently-described information handling system may reduce the physicalthickness of the keyboard within the information handling system.Further, the solid-state touchpad may eliminate the dive board mechanismand underlying click switch for selection of items via the mechanicallyactuated touchpad. This may enable a thinner, more streamlinedinformation handling system.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for a keyboard of aninformation handling system. The keyboard may include, in an embodiment,a coversheet to identify an actuation location of an input actuationdevice. In an embodiment a support layer may be placed underneath thecoversheet to support the coversheet and other layers within thekeyboard. The keyboard may, in an embodiment, include a contact foilplaced between the coversheet and support layer. In the embodimentspresented herein, the keyboard may include a piezoelectric elementplaced between the contact foil and support layer to receive an appliedmechanical stress at the actuation location of the input actuationdevice. The keyboard of the information handling system, in anembodiment, may include a controller of the information handling systemoperatively coupled to the contact foil to receive an electric chargefrom the piezoelectric element placed under the mechanical stress. Thecontroller may also send a haptic feedback control signal to thepiezoelectric element of a signal varying in polarity, voltage orcurrent to cause the piezoelectric element to provide haptic feedback atthe actuation location.

During operation of the solid-state keyboard or touchpad of theinformation handling system described in embodiments herein, a key onthe keyboard or the touchpad may be actuated by a user pressing down ona specific location. In an embodiment, this specific location may bevisually indicated by an alphanumeric symbol such as those found on aQWERTY keyboard, a key pedestal or raised location, or anotherdesignation such as a tactile frame or depression in a cover sheet. Theactuations of these specific locations by, for example, a user's fingercauses a mechanical stress to be applied to the piezoelectric elementresulting in the deformation of the piezoelectric element. Uponapplication of this mechanical stress and the deformation of thepiezoelectric element, the piezoelectric element accumulates an electriccharge that is passed to a controller of the information handling systemvia the contact foil described herein. In an embodiment, the controllerreceives the electrical charge as an actuation signal and correlates thecharge received with a location on the keyboard or touchpad. In yetanother embodiment, the received electrical charge magnitude of theactuation signal from a piezoelectric element may correlate to amagnitude of force applied by the user to press the key or touchpad.

The piezo haptic keyboard controller in embodiments described herein mayuse such a method to detect and record various metrics describing thedynamics of the piezo haptic keyboard assembly in use by a specific userover time. For example, such user haptic hardware typing or touchbehavior parameters may describe the force of keystrokes, the locationof keystrokes (e.g., in the center of a given key or in the corner ofthat key), duration of keystrokes, sharpness or speed of keystrokes, andoverall typing speed applied by the user. The combination of specificvalues for each of these recorded user haptic hardware typing or touchbehavior parameters may be specific to individual users, or may providean accurate gauge for distinguishing between users. In other words, thespecific combination of an individual user's force, location, andduration of keystrokes, keystroke sharpness, and overall typing speedmay be sufficiently unique to an individual user so as to distinguishthat user from most other users.

Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 illustrates an information handlingsystem 100 similar to information handling systems according to severalaspects of the present disclosure. In the embodiments described herein,an information handling system includes any instrumentality or aggregateof instrumentalities operable to compute, classify, process, transmit,receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect,record, reproduce, handle, or use any form of information, intelligence,or data for business, scientific, control, entertainment, or otherpurposes. For example, an information handling system 100 may be apersonal computer, mobile device (e.g., personal digital assistant (PDA)or smart phone), server (e.g., blade server or rack server), a consumerelectronic device, a network server or storage device, a network router,switch, or bridge, wireless router, or other network communicationdevice, a network connected device (cellular telephone, tablet device,etc.), IoT computing device, wearable computing device, a set-top box(STB), a mobile information handling system, a palmtop computer, alaptop computer, a desktop computer, a communications device, an accesspoint (AP), a base station transceiver, a wireless telephone, a controlsystem, a camera, a scanner, a printer, a pager, a personal trusteddevice, a web appliance, or any other suitable machine capable ofexecuting a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specifyactions to be taken by that machine, and may vary in size, shape,performance, price, and functionality.

In a networked deployment, the information handling system 100 mayoperate in the capacity of a server or as a client computer in aserver-client network environment, or as a peer computer system in apeer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. In a particularembodiment, the information handling system 100 may be implemented usingelectronic devices that provide voice, video or data communication. Forexample, an information handling system 100 may be any mobile or othercomputing device capable of executing a set of instructions (sequentialor otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further,while a single information handling system 100 is illustrated, the term“system” shall also be taken to include any collection of systems orsub-systems that individually or jointly execute a set, or multiplesets, of instructions to perform one or more computer functions.

The information handling system may include memory (volatile (e.g.random-access memory, etc.), nonvolatile (read-only memory, flash memoryetc.) or any combination thereof), one or more processing resources,such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit(GPU), hardware or software control logic, or any combination thereof.Additional components of the information handling system 100 may includeone or more storage devices, one or more communications ports forcommunicating with external devices, as well as, various input andoutput (I/O) devices 112, such as a keyboard 114, a touchpad, a mouse, avideo/graphic display 110, or any combination thereof. The informationhandling system 100 may also include one or more buses operable totransmit communications between the various hardware components.Portions of an information handling system 100 may themselves beconsidered information handling systems 100.

Information handling system 100 may include devices or modules thatembody one or more of the devices or execute instructions for the one ormore systems and modules described herein, and operates to perform oneor more of the methods described herein. The information handling system100 may execute code instructions 124 that may operate on servers orsystems, remote data centers, or on-box in individual client informationhandling systems according to various embodiments herein. In someembodiments, it is understood any or all portions of code instructions124 may operate on a plurality of information handling systems 100.

The information handling system 100 may include a processor 102 such asa central processing unit (CPU), control logic or some combination ofthe same. Any of the processing resources may operate to execute codethat is either firmware or software code. Moreover, the informationhandling system 100 may include memory such as main memory 104, staticmemory 106, or other memory of computer readable medium 122 storinginstructions 124 of the keyboard and touchpad user identification system132, and drive unit 116 (volatile (e.g. random-access memory, etc.),nonvolatile memory (read-only memory, flash memory etc.) or anycombination thereof. The information handling system 100 may alsoinclude one or more buses 108 operable to transmit communicationsbetween the various hardware components such as any combination ofvarious input and output (I/O) devices.

The information handling system 100 may further include a video display110. The video display 110 in an embodiment may function as a liquidcrystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a flatpanel display, or a solid-state display. Additionally, the informationhandling system 100 may include an input device 112, such as a cursorcontrol device (e.g., mouse, touchpad, or gesture or touch screeninput), and a keyboard 114. Various drivers and control electronics maybe operatively coupled to operate input devices 112 such as the haptickeyboard 110 and haptic touchpad according to the embodiments describedherein.

The network interface device shown as wireless adapter 120 may provideconnectivity to a network 128, e.g., a wide area network (WAN), a localarea network (LAN), wireless local area network (WLAN), a wirelesspersonal area network (WPAN), a wireless wide area network (WWAN), orother network. Connectivity may be via wired or wireless connection. Thewireless adapter 120 may operate in accordance with any wireless datacommunication standards. To communicate with a wireless local areanetwork, standards including IEEE 802.11 WLAN standards, IEEE 802.15WPAN standards, WWAN such as 3GPP or 3GPP2, or similar wirelessstandards may be used. In some aspects of the present disclosure, onewireless adapter 120 may operate two or more wireless links.

Wireless adapter 120 may connect to any combination of macro-cellularwireless connections including 2G, 2.5G, 3G, 4G, 5G or the like from oneor more service providers. Utilization of radiofrequency communicationbands according to several example embodiments of the present disclosuremay include bands used with the WLAN standards and WWAN carriers, whichmay operate in both licensed and unlicensed spectrums.

In some embodiments, software, firmware, dedicated hardwareimplementations such as application specific integrated circuits,programmable logic arrays and other hardware devices may be constructedto implement one or more of some systems and methods described herein.Applications that may include the apparatus and systems of variousembodiments may broadly include a variety of electronic and computersystems. One or more embodiments described herein may implementfunctions using two or more specific interconnected hardware modules ordevices with related control and data signals that may be communicatedbetween and through the modules, or as portions of anapplication-specific integrated circuit. Accordingly, the present systemencompasses software, firmware, and hardware implementations.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, themethods described herein may be implemented by firmware or softwareprograms executable by a controller or a processor system. Further, inan exemplary, non-limited embodiment, implementations may includedistributed processing, component/object distributed processing, andparallel processing. Alternatively, virtual computer system processingmay be constructed to implement one or more of the methods orfunctionalities as described herein.

The present disclosure contemplates a computer-readable medium thatincludes instructions, parameters, and profiles 124 or receives andexecutes instructions, parameters, and profiles 124 responsive to apropagated signal, so that a device connected to a network 128 maycommunicate voice, video or data over the network 128. Further, theinstructions 124 may be transmitted or received over the network 128 viathe network interface device or wireless adapter 120.

The information handling system 100 may include a set of instructions124 that may be executed to cause the computer system to perform any oneor more of the methods or computer-based functions disclosed herein. Forexample, instructions 124 may execute a haptic keyboard and touchpadcontrol system 132 which may include a haptic keyboard and touchpad useridentification system 133, software agents, or other aspects orcomponents. The haptic keyboard and touchpad user identification system133 may be a separate system operating with the haptic keyboard andtouchpad control system 132 executing instructions to operate the haptickeys and the haptic touchpad or it may be part of the same system. Insome embodiments the haptic keyboard and touchpad control system 132 maybe separate systems that operate the haptic keyboard 114 and the haptictouchpad or similar I/O device 112. The haptic keyboard and touchpadcontrol system 132 herein may be considered to separately or jointlyoperate the haptic keyboard 114 or haptic touchpad in embodiments hereinand reference to this system may only refer to control functions ofeither the haptic keyboard 114 or the haptic touchpad or may refer tocontrol functions of both. Various software modules comprisingapplication instructions 124 may be coordinated by an operating system(OS), and/or via an application programming interface (API). An exampleoperating system may include Windows®, Android®, and other OS types.Example APIs may include Win 32, Core Java API, or Android APIs.

The disk drive unit 116 and the haptic keyboard and touchpad useridentification system 133 may include a computer-readable medium 122 inwhich one or more sets of instructions 124 such as software may beembedded. Similarly, main memory 104 and static memory 106 may alsocontain a computer-readable medium for storage of one or more sets ofinstructions, parameters, or profiles 124 including haptic feedbackmodulation instructions of the haptic keyboard and touchpad controlsystem 132 that allow for a user to input a desired level of hapticfeedback at a key or location on a touchpad. The disk drive unit 116 andstatic memory 106 may also contain space for data storage. Further, theinstructions 124 may embody one or more of the methods or logic asdescribed herein for receiving actuation signals from piezoelectricelements of the haptic keyboard or haptic touchpad and returning hapticfeedback control signals to those piezoelectric elements to generate ahaptic feedback response event. For example, instructions relating tothe haptic keyboard and touchpad control system 132 and the haptickeyboard and touchpad user identification system 133 softwarealgorithms, processes, and/or methods may be stored here. In aparticular embodiment, the instructions, parameters, and profiles 124may reside completely, or at least partially, within the main memory104, the static memory 106, and/or within the disk drive 116 duringexecution by a keyboard or touchpad controller, the processor 102 orsome combination of both of information handling system 100. In someaspects, the keyboard controller or touchpad controller may also have alocal memory to store some aspects of the haptic keyboard and touchpadcontrol system 132 and the haptic keyboard and touchpad useridentification system 133.

Main memory 104 may contain computer-readable medium, such as RAM in anexample embodiment. An example of main memory 104 includes random accessmemory (RAM) such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), non-volatileRAM (NV-RAM), or the like, read only memory (ROM), another type ofmemory, or a combination thereof. Static memory 106 may containcomputer-readable medium (not shown), such as NOR or NAND flash memoryin some example embodiments. The haptic keyboard and touchpad useridentification system 133 may be stored in static memory 106, or thedrive unit 116 on a computer-readable medium 122 such as a flash memoryor magnetic disk in an example embodiment. While the computer-readablemedium is shown to be a single medium, the term “computer-readablemedium” includes a single medium or multiple media, such as acentralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches andservers that store one or more sets of instructions. The term“computer-readable medium” shall also include any medium that is capableof storing, encoding, or carrying a set of instructions for execution bya processor or that cause a computer system to perform any one or moreof the methods or operations disclosed herein.

In a particular non-limiting, exemplary embodiment, thecomputer-readable medium may include a solid-state memory such as amemory card or other package that houses one or more non-volatileread-only memories. Further, the computer-readable medium may be arandom-access memory or other volatile re-writable memory. Additionally,the computer-readable medium may include a magneto-optical or opticalmedium, such as a disk or tapes or other storage device to storeinformation received via carrier wave signals such as a signalcommunicated over a transmission medium. Furthermore, a computerreadable medium may store information received from distributed networkresources such as from a cloud-based environment. A digital fileattachment to an e-mail or other self-contained information archive orset of archives may be considered a distribution medium that isequivalent to a tangible storage medium. Accordingly, the disclosure isconsidered to include any one or more of a computer-readable medium or adistribution medium and other equivalents and successor media, in whichdata or instructions may be stored.

The information handling system 100 may also include the haptic keyboardand touchpad control system 132 and the haptic keyboard and touchpaduser identification system 133 that may operate on a keyboard ortouchpad controller and that may be operably connected to the bus 108.The haptic keyboard and touchpad control system 132 and the haptickeyboard and touchpad user identification system 133 computer readablemedium 122 may also reserve or contain space for data storage at thecontroller or in the wider information handling system. The haptickeyboard and touchpad control system 132 may, according to the presentdescription, perform tasks related to receiving actuation signals fromone or more piezoelectric elements of a haptic keyboard 114 or a haptictouchpad, and return a determined haptic feedback control signal for ahaptic feedback event to be generated at the actuation location as wellas registering a character associated with an actuated key or aselection via a touchpad actuation. The haptic keyboard and touchpaduser identification system 133 may, according to the presentdescription, perform tasks related to identifying individual users basedon measured behavioral parameters describing the way in which a userinteracts with one or more piezo elements situated beneath the haptickeyboard 114 or a touchpad. In these embodiments, the haptic keyboardand touchpad control system 132 may receive an electric charge from anyof a plurality of piezoelectric elements each associated with a key onkeyboard 114 (i.e., a QWERTY keyboard), a key pad, or a location on atouchpad describing an actuation force and location applied by a user toperform a keystroke or a click of the touchpad and this information maybe used by the haptic keyboard and touchpad user identification system133.

In an embodiment of the present description, each of the keys of haptickeyboard 114 may be associated with a piezoelectric element. Thepiezoelectric element may be used to, as described herein, create anelectrical charge relative to a key on the haptic keyboard 114 and sendthat electrical charge to a controller. In an embodiment, the controllerexecuting some or all instructions of the haptic keyboard and touchpadcontrol system 132 may receive the electrical actuation signal as anelectric charge and send an electrical haptic feedback control signal tothe piezoelectric element. Upon application of the electrical hapticfeedback control signal at the piezoelectric element (i.e., having aspecific current and voltage) associated with the actuated key of haptickeyboard 114 causes the piezoelectric element to convert that electricalhaptic feedback control signal into a mechanical stress by, for example,stretching or compressing the piezo electric material to warp thepiezoelectric element upward or downward. The mechanical stress of thepiezoelectric material causing warping of the piezoelectric element dueto the application of the electrical haptic feedback control signal maybe felt by a user who actuated the key of haptic keyboard 114.

Similarly for a haptic touchpad 113, the touchpad interface area of acoversheet of the information handling system C-cover may be associatedwith an array of piezoelectric elements. The piezoelectric elements maybe used to, as described herein, create an electrical charge relative toa touchpad interface area on the haptic touchpad 113 and send thatelectrical charge or electrical charges of an actuation signal to acontroller. In an embodiment, the controller executing some or allinstructions of the haptic keyboard and touchpad control system 132 mayreceive the electrical actuation signal as an electric charge and sendan electrical haptic feedback control signal to the one or morepiezoelectric elements. Upon application of the electrical hapticfeedback control signal at the piezoelectric element or piezoelectricelements (i.e., having a specific current and voltage) associated withthe actuation location of haptic touchpad 113 causes the piezoelectricelement to convert that electrical haptic feedback control signal into amechanical stress by, for example, stretching or compressing the piezoelectric material to warp the piezoelectric element upward or downward.The mechanical stress of the piezoelectric material causing warping ofthe piezoelectric element due to the application of the electricalhaptic feedback control signal may be felt by a user who actuated theactuation location of haptic touchpad 113.

In an embodiment, the keyboard controller 130 may execute instructions,parameter, and profiles 124 to implement the functions of the keyboard114 as described herein. The haptic keyboard and touchpad control system132 in an embodiment may include one or more sets of instructions that,when executed by the keyboard controller 130, determines which of anyplurality of keys of keyboard 114 were activated. In an example, thekeyboard controller 130 may receive, from a piezoelectric element, anelectric charge and produce a haptic feedback control signal to thepiezoelectric element. The haptic keyboard and touchpad useridentification system 133 may execute instructions parameters, andprofiles 124 to utilize detection of typing behaviors via haptichardware metric detection to identify that a user matches aauthenticated user personal typing profile as a security measure. Thehaptic keyboard and touchpad user identification system 133 may alsoutilize other sensors including user-defined settings, physicalsurrounding indicators, and application usage data for securityverification according to embodiments herein.

In an embodiment, the haptic keyboard and touchpad control system 132and the haptic keyboard and touchpad user identification system 133 ofhaptic keyboard controller or a haptic touchpad controller maycommunicate with the main memory 104, the processor 102, the videodisplay 110, the alpha-numeric input device 112, and the networkinterface device 120 via bus 108, and several forms of communication maybe used, including ACPI, SMBus, a 24 MHZ BFSK-coded transmissionchannel, or shared memory. Keyboard driver software, firmware,controllers and the like may communicate with applications on theinformation handling system 100.

In other embodiments, dedicated hardware implementations such asapplication specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays andother hardware devices may be constructed to implement one or more ofthe methods described herein. Applications that may include theapparatus and systems of various embodiments may broadly include avariety of electronic and computer systems. One or more embodimentsdescribed herein may implement functions using two or more specificinterconnected hardware modules or devices with related control and datasignals that may be communicated between and through the modules, or asportions of an application-specific integrated circuit. Accordingly, thepresent system encompasses software, firmware, and hardwareimplementations.

When referred to as a “system”, a “device,” a “module,” a “controller,”or the like, the embodiments described herein may be configured ashardware. For example, a portion of an information handling systemdevice may be hardware such as, for example, an integrated circuit (suchas an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a FieldProgrammable Gate Array (FPGA), a structured ASIC, or a device embeddedon a larger chip), a card (such as a Peripheral Component Interface(PCI) card, a PCI-express card, a Personal Computer Memory CardInternational Association (PCMCIA) card, or other such expansion card),or a system (such as a motherboard, a system-on-a-chip (SoC), or astand-alone device). The system, device, controller, or module mayinclude software, including firmware embedded at a device, such as anIntel® Core class processor, ARM® brand processors, Qualcomm® Snapdragonprocessors, or other processors and chipsets, or other such device, orsoftware capable of operating a relevant environment of the informationhandling system. The system, device, controller, or module may alsoinclude a combination of the foregoing examples of hardware or software.In an embodiment an information handling system 100 may include anintegrated circuit or a board-level product having portions thereof thatmay also be any combination of hardware and software. Devices, modules,resources, controllers, or programs that are in communication with oneanother need not be in continuous communication with each other, unlessexpressly specified otherwise. In addition, devices, modules, resources,controllers, or programs that are in communication with one another maycommunicate directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries.

FIG. 2 is a side cut-out view of a key 200 of a keyboard implementing apiezoelectric element deforming under pressure applied by a useraccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As describedherein, user demand drives the market for mobile information handlingsystems toward ever-slimmer, more lightweight laptop devices, promptinga need for every-thinner keyboards. In order to decrease the thicknessof laptop systems, keyboards may employ piezo haptic technology that isslimmer than tradition mechanical keyboard systems. In an exampleembodiment, the keyboard with piezo haptic technology may mimic thetactile sensation of traditional mechanical keyboards, but may replace akey cap, scissor mechanism, and rubber dome of a traditional mechanicalkey assembly with a keyboard cover sheet lying atop a deformable piezoelement layer.

According to an embodiment, the key 200 may be formed of a plurality oflayers, one layer of which is a piezoelectric element 220. Although FIG.2 shows a cross-sectional view of a single key 200, the presentspecification contemplates that a keyboard may also include a pluralityof these similar keys 200 arranged as, for example, a QWERTY-typekeyboard. The present specification also contemplates that, in additionto a keyboard, an information handling system described herein may alsoinclude a touchpad including a piezoelectric element 220 as describedherein. Consequently, FIG. 2 is not intended to be limiting but merelyintended as a description of operation of any type of input devicecontemplated by the present disclosure.

The key 200 includes a coversheet 205. The coversheet 205 may be made ofany type of elastically resilient material. The elastically resilientmaterial may allow, at least, a portion of the key 200 to be deformedupon application of a pressure from a user's finger. Upon withdrawal ofthe pressure from the user's finger, the material the coversheet 205 ismade of allows the coversheet 205 of the key 200 to bend back to itspre-deformed state. In an embodiment, the resilient material may allowthe coversheet 205 to travel a minimal distance and still deform apiezoelectric element 220. For example, a distance of between 0.01 mmand 2 mm. In an embodiment, the distance is between 0.05 mm and 0.15 mm.In an embodiment, the distance is 0.1 mm.

In an embodiment, the shape of the coversheet 205 may have a selectionof key pedestals 206 of various sizes and shaped so as to conform to auser's finger. In an embodiment, in order to shape the coversheet 205,the material used to form the coversheet 205 may be subjected to aninjection molding process. As such, a top portion of the coversheet 205may be formed to be ergonomically beneficial to a user's actuation suchas by conforming to the user's fingers and including a pedestal 206 tohighlight the key location, for example. In other embodiments, no keypedestals may be formed and a key location may be described incoversheet 205 via markings, depressions, key framing, or other methods.The injection molding process may be completed prior to the installationof the coversheet 205 into the remaining layers within the keyboard 200as described herein. Any number of processes may be included with theinjection molding process. In an embodiment, the injection moldingprocess used to form the coversheet 205 may include forming a number ofholes within a sheet of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Theseholes may correlate with a number of keys on a keyboard. The formationof the coversheet 205 may continue with injection molding a translucentABS through the holes to form a raised portion correlating with each ofthe number of keys on the keyboard. Opposite the raised portions anumber of runners may be machined away to accommodate for receipt ofother layers of the keyboard such as each of the piezoelectric elements.The surface of the coversheet on which the raised portions are formedmay be painted and any number or type of graphics may be laser etched oneach raised portion indicating a specific key of the keyboard.

In other embodiments, the coversheet of the C-cover may include aplurality of vias for keys 200 having a cover sheet 205 or cap for eachkey. A key pedestal 206 for each key 200 in a solid-state keyboard ofthe present embodiments may be disposed through the vias in the C-coverin such embodiments. Each haptic key of the haptic keyboard in such anembodiment may include a cover layer similar to those described directlyabove that protrudes through the key vias in the coversheet 205.Layering under the coversheet may include material layers that arehydrophobic or have other properties. Though gaps between haptic keysand key vias may be minimized, such gaps may be useful for coolingventilation of the base chassis or for allowing backlighting to framethe haptic keys. Similarly, a touchpad top touch interface layer may beattached under the coversheet 205 to seamlessly provide a designatedtouchpad area in the C-cover coversheet for access to the top coversheet 205 of the solid state touchpad in some embodiments. Anycombination of a continuous coversheet for haptic keys and vias in thecoversheet for placement of haptic keys of a keyboard coversheet layerare contemplated in various embodiments. Further, it is contemplatedthat in some embodiments one or the other of a haptic keyboard or haptictouchpad may be used with a keyboard having mechanically actuated keysor a touchpad with a mechanically actuated diving board mechanism.

The key 200 may further include a number of adhesive layers 215 thatphysically couple the various layers of the key 200 together. In anembodiment, a first adhesive layer 215 may be formed on the coversheet205 to adhere the coversheet 205 to the contact foil 210. The firstadhesive layer 215 may include the placement of the adhesive atlocations that may enhance the movement and prevent the hindrance of theactuation of the coversheet 205. In a specific embodiment, the firstadhesive layer 215 may include placing the adhesive along borders of thekey 200 as well as placing the adhesive at a central location of the key200.

The contact foil 210 may be made of any elastically resilient materialthat, when the coversheet 205 of key 200 is actuated or the contact foil210 is bent towards a lower portion of the key 200, returns to itsoriginal state when the key 200 is no longer being actuated. The contactfoil in an embodiment may be a flexible material, such as polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) serving as a polyester printed circuit board orother type of flexible printed circuit board, in several exampleembodiments. The contact foil 210 may include a number of metal tracesformed on one or more of its surfaces that electrically andcommunicatively couple each of the corresponding piezoelectric element220 of key 200 to a keyboard controller such as a processor of aninformation handling system that includes a haptic keyboard and touchpadcontrol system 132 such as described herein. Formation of metal tracesmay be made according to a variety of methods includingphotolithographic techniques for applying metal or lamination of copperstrips or other metal layers.

In an embodiment, portions of the contact foil 210 may be physicallycoupled to a support plate 230 via a second layer of adhesive 216. Thelocation of the placement of the second adhesive layer 216 may includeplacing the adhesive along borders of the key 200.

In an embodiment presented herein, the piezoelectric element 220 mayinclude a first portion 222 that may be any solid piezoelectric materialthat accumulates an electric charge when a mechanical stress is appliedto it or specifically, in the embodiments presented herein, when thesolid material is deformed. Solid materials used to form thepiezoelectric element 220 may include crystals, ceramics, or proteinlayers, among other types of materials. For ease of explanation, thepiezoelectric element 220 may be made of a type of ceramic although thepresent specification contemplates the use of other types ofpiezoelectric materials.

The piezoelectric element 220 may be housed over a cavity 231 formed inthe support plate 230. The piezoelectric element 220 may comprise twoportions 222 and 225 each electrically coupled via electric contactpoints such as soldering points 235 and 240, respectively, to adifferent electrical trace on the bottom surface of the contact foil210. The first portion 222 may be a ceramic disc in an embodiment.Second portion 225 of the piezoelectric element 220 may be a metal plateor ring, such as a brass plate, that extends beyond the edges of cavity231. The first portion 222 and the second portion 225 may be operativelycoupled via adhesive including conductive adhesives. The solderingpoints 235 and 240 may be silver solder contact points for operativeelectrical coupling to metal traces on the bottom surface of contactfoil 210. As so oriented, the first soldering point 235 and secondsoldering point 240 may be formed to receive an electrical charge upondeflection of the piezoelectric element 220 as a user actuates the key200. The brass plate 225 supports deflection of the piezoelectricelement 220 into the cavity 231 to detect mechanical actuation of thekey 200. In an embodiment, the support plate 230 may have a cavity 230formed therein such that the piezoelectric element 220 may be allowed tobe deflected therein when the key 200 is actuated by a user and cavity231 may be an aperture or hole through support plate 230 or may be adepression or hole in support plate 230 that does not pass through 230.

In an embodiment presented herein, the piezoelectric element 220 may beany solid material that accumulates an electric charge when a mechanicalstress is applied to it or specifically, in the embodiments presentedherein, the solid material is deformed. Solid materials used to form thepiezoelectric disk 222 or other piezoelectric material as part of afirst portion 222 of the piezoelectric element 220 may include crystals,ceramics, biological matter, protein layers, among other types ofmaterials. For ease of explanation, the piezoelectric disk material 222may be made of a type of ceramic although the present specificationcontemplates the use of these other types of materials.

During operation of the key 200, the contact foil 210 may receive anelectrical charge from the piezoelectric element 220 at the metal traceson the bottom surface of the contact foil 210 that conduct theelectrical charge to the processor or other keyboard controllerassociated with the key 200. For example, as the piezoelectric diskmaterial 222 is compressed by deflection and the metal plate or ring 225warped downward toward the cavity 231 within support plate 230, a changein voltage may be detected. The electrical charge created when the useractuates the key 200 and the piezoelectric element 220 is subjected to amechanical stress may be detected between soldering points 235 and 240.The electrical charge may be communicated down metal traces formed onthe contact foil 210 to a controller (not shown).

The metal traces formed on the contact foil 210 may further be used toconduct a return electrical haptic feedback control signal from thecontroller to the piezoelectric element 220 so that the voltage andcurrent of the return electrical haptic feedback control signal maycause the piezoelectric element 220 to return to a planer and rigidpiezoelectric element 220 as required to cause a specified hapticresponse to the user via coversheet 205. For example, this electricalhaptic feedback control signal may have a certain voltage, current, andpolarity (−,+) sufficient to render the piezoelectric material of thepiezoelectric element 220 to cause a haptic event or sound. Such aresponse signal may be a sine wave, a square wave, a pulsed signal, orother waveform of changing current, voltage, or polarity applied to thepiezoelectric element 220. This stiffening of the piezoelectric element220 may cause a haptic feedback presented at the key 200 via the contactfoil 210, adhesive 215, and coversheet 205 that the user may feel. Uponreceiving an actuation signal, the controller sends an electrical hapticfeedback control signal back to the piezoelectric element 220 via themetal traces formed on the contact foil 210, through the solderingpoints 235 and 240 and to a conductive layer of metallic plate or ring225 formed below the piezoelectric disk material 222.

Upon receiving an actuation signal, the controller sends an electricalhaptic feedback control signal back to the piezoelectric element 220 viathe metal traces formed on the contact foil 210, through the solderingpoints 235 and 240 and to a conductive layer of metallic plate or ring225 formed below the piezoelectric disk material 222. The conductivelayer of metallic plate or ring 225 may apply the electrical hapticfeedback control signal to the piezoelectric disk material 222 so as tocause the piezoelectric disk material 222 to stretch or shrink dependingon the polarity of the signal applied. For example, a negative signalapplied to piezoelectric disk material element 222 relative to thecharge at adhesively attached metallic plate 225 may cause piezoelectricdisk 222 to expand or stretch in embodiments herein. This may causemetallic plate 225 to warp downward. Reversing polarity to thepiezoelectric disk 222 may cause the piezoelectric disk 222 to compressor shrink and metallic plate 225 may warp upwards. The principle ofhaptics applied to the piezoelectric disk 222 includes an input voltagethat is applied through the two electrodes (voltage change as sine wave,square wave etc.) to generate movement on piezoelectric material 222 ofthe piezoelectric element 220 and a warping of the metallic layer ordisk 225.

This haptic response signal is used to cause a haptic tactile feedbacksuch as a depression and return of the key 200 or a haptic “click” of atouchpad and which may be accompanied by a sound. Such an electricalhaptic feedback control signal, such as a sine wave signal, or otherhaptic response signals with varying polarities or voltage and currentmay be used by the keyboard controller to create the haptic feedbackfelt by the user as described herein. In these embodiments, the electriccharge sent from the piezoelectric element 220 to the keyboardcontroller and the electrical haptic feedback control signal sent fromthe controller to the piezoelectric element 220 may propagate along thetwo metal traces formed on the bottom surface of the contact foil 210.The contact foil 210 may therefore, in an embodiment, include double thenumber of metal traces on its bottom surface as that of the number ofpiezoelectric elements 220 used to form a keyboard that includesmultiple keys 200. This haptic feedback may be relayed to the userwithin microseconds of the user actuating the key 200 such that the userphysically detects a sensation that the key 200 was pressed. Thissensation felt by the user may be present despite no actual mechanicaldevices such as a scissor mechanism or other types of keyboardmechanical devices being present among the layers of the key 200. Thesignal to the piezoelectric element 220 may vary magnitude and pulsingto create the desired haptic response at key 200.

In some embodiments, the controller may apply a series of voltage pulsesto the piezo electric element 220, via the contact foil 210, causing thepiezo element 220 to vibrate, pulse, or move between its upward warped,downward warped, or neutral positions over a preset time period.

In addition, by applying voltage of varying magnitude or polarity to thepiezo element 220, the controller may determine the sensitivity of thepiezo element 220 to detect actuation of a key 200 or to modify thesensitivity to corner strikes 204 in preference to downward pressure 202that is centered over key 200. In an embodiment, the haptic keyboard andtouchpad control system 132 may be used to set the force threshold atwhich a keyboard controller registers a keystroke to be greater or lesspressure. Requiring greater pressure will decrease sensitivity of thekey 200 to keystrikes and to corner strikes 204. This may be useful whencorner strikes 204 are errant strikes causing mistyped characters.Requiring less pressure will increase sensitivity of key 200 tokeystrikes as well as to corner strikes 204 which may enable fastertyping for an accurate typist or may provide a feel desired by someusers with respect to typing on the haptic keyboard. In such a way, thekeyboard controller operating the haptic keyboard and touchpad controlsystem may set the downward force required to register a keystroke, aswell as roughly define the area (e.g., in the center of the key, or onthe edges of the key) in which a user must apply that force. In thisway, pressure level required to actuate the piezo-electric keyboard maybe set.

As another example, the controller may set the intensity or force withwhich a key provides a haptic response following a keystroke by causingthe piezo element 220 to rotate between its upward warping, downwardwarping, and neutral position. In other words, the controller may setthe cycle of movement, pulsing, and intensity of the piezo element 220movement by adjusting the amplitude, polarity, pulsing, or waveform ofthe haptic control signal provided to a piezo electric element 220. Thecontroller in another example may set the duration of such a hapticresponse by adjusting the period of haptic response, or the duration oftime between detection of the keystroke and deflection of the piezoelement 220. Movement or vibration sharpness in an embodiment may referto the amount of time that is allowed to pass between detection of akeystroke and initiation of a haptic response. For example, a controllerin an embodiment may receive a voltage generated at the solder points235 and 240 via the contact foil 210 when the piezo element 220 warpsdownward under user-applied force, and may respond by transmitting ahaptic voltage signal causing the piezo element 220 to warp upward, orto move between upward and downward warped positions. The controller insuch an embodiment may affect the sharpness of a vibration by allowing ashorter or longer time period to elapse between receipt of the voltageindicating the piezo element 220 has been deformed downward underuser-applied pressure and transmission of the responsive haptic voltagesignal causing the haptic movement (e.g. upward or downward warping) ofthe piezo element 220. The haptic response may be a vibration, a click,a depression followed by an upward motion, or a more nuanced movementinvoked by the piezo-electric element 220.

The controller in some embodiments may also cause a piezo element 220 tovibrate or otherwise move in response to a haptic response controlsignal for a prolonged period, in a burst under certain conditions. Forexample, certain keys may be used as hot keys or controller keys forcertain applications in an embodiments. A user playing a video game mayuse the “F” key to fire a weapon, for example. In some embodiments, thecontroller may set these hot buttons or controller keys to deliver sucha burst or prolonged vibration in response to certain instructionsreceived from the corresponding application (e.g., computer game). Forexample, the “F” key used to fire a weapon in an embodiment may delivera burst of vibration or another movement when the weapon the user isattempting to fire is out of ammunition. In another example embodiment,the piezo element 220 situated beneath the touchpad may deliver a burstvibration to indicate the player has been injured. The controller insuch embodiments may control the duration of such bursts, and theinterval between the bursts by setting the number of voltage pulses, andthe timing between them that the contact foil 210 applies to the piezoelement 220.

The controller applying voltages to the contact foil 210 in anembodiment may control the several factors describing the dynamics ofeach piezo element 220, individually, in such a way. In other words, thecontroller in an embodiment may apply different piezo haptic settings todifferent piezo elements, operating simultaneously. For example, piezoelements situated beneath two separate keys may operate according toseparate dynamics, based on voltages applied by the controller,separately, to each of those piezo elements. As another example, piezoelements situated beneath the touch pad may operate according toseparate dynamics than piezo elements situated beneath keys on the coversheet 205. In still another example, piezo elements situated in oneregion of the touch pad may operate according to separate dynamics thanpiezo elements situated beneath another region of the touch pad.

FIG. 2 shows an image of a single key 200. The present specificationcontemplates that a plurality of keys 200 may be formed alongside eachother in order to form, for example, a number pad, a keyboard, or acombination thereof. Consequently, although the features of the key 200depicted in FIG. 2 apply to a single key 200, the present specificationcontemplates that any number of keys 200 may be formed on the keyboardso as to allow for the formation of an input device such as a keyboard.The keys 200 may be of any size (e.g., spacebar, tab key, or the like)and depending on size may include more than one piezoelectric element220 associated with it. As the user actuates each of the keys 200, ahaptic feedback may be felt by the user so as to present to the user asensation that the key was pressed. This operation of key 200 may beconducted every time the user actuates the key 200.

The formation of the key 200 may, in the embodiments presented herein,provide for a keyboard that has a relatively shorter distance of keytravel as compared to those keyboards that implement mechanical devicessuch as a scissor mechanisms and key caps. In an embodiment, thedistance of travel of the key 200 may be smaller than 0.1 mm. With theshorter distance of key travel, the overall thickness of the keyboardplaced within an information handling system may be reduced. Thisincreases the available footprint within a base chassis of, for example,a notebook-type information handling system that may be used for more orlarger components (e.g., batteries) to be placed within the basechassis. Additionally, or alternatively, the reduction in thickness ofthe keyboard may reduce the overall thickness of the informationhandling system improving the aesthetics of the design of theinformation handling system. This reduction in size of the informationhandling system may also result in the reduction of the weight of theinformation handling system thereby increasing the portability of theinformation handling system by the user.

The keys 200 of the present embodiments also include no movingmechanical parts. With the absence of mechanical moving parts, the key200 of the presently described embodiments may be relatively more robustthereby increasing the useful life of the key 200. This may increaseuser satisfaction over the useful lifetime of the information handlingsystem.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective graphical view of a piezo haptickeyboard layer stack including a controller setting and recordingvarious dynamics of a plurality of piezo electric elements according toan embodiment of the present disclosure. The keyboard stack up 300 showsa plurality of keys, similar to those described in connection with FIG.2 , arranged so as to receive input from a user at multiple keys. FIG. 3also shows a top coversheet 305 having both a keyboard 301 and atouchpad 302. Either or both of the keyboard 301 and touchpad 302 may behaptic systems as described in embodiments herein. In an embodiment, thekeys may be arranged similar to a QWERTY design of a keyboard 301.However, other arrangements of any alphabetic, numeric, or symbolic keysis contemplated by the present description.

The keyboard stack up 300 may include several layers similar to thosedescribed in connection with FIG. 2 . In an embodiment, the keyboardstack up 300 includes a coversheet layer 305. The coversheet layer 305may be made of any type of elastically resilient material. Coversheetlayer 305 may include a plurality of key designations, such as keypedestals as shown in keyboard 301 and a touchpad 302 area designation.The elastically resilient material may allow, at least, a portion of thecoversheet layer 305 to be deformed upon application of a pressure froma user's finger. Upon withdrawal of the pressure from the user's finger,the material the coversheet layer 305 is made of allows the coversheetlayer 305 of the key to bend back to its pre-deformed form. In anembodiment, the resilient material may allow the coversheet layer 305 totravel a distance of between 0.01 mm and 2 mm.

In an embodiment, the shape of the coversheet layer 305 may be such soas to conform to the user's fingers. In an embodiment, in order to shapethe coversheet 305, the material used to form the coversheet 305 may besubjected to an injection molding process. As such, a top portion of thecoversheet layer 305 may be formed to be ergonomically beneficial to auser's actuation such as by providing a tactile key location designationand conforming to the user's fingers, for example. The injection moldingprocess may be completed prior to the installation of the coversheet 305into the remaining layers within the keyboard 300 as described herein.Any number of processes may be included with the injection moldingprocess, including forming a number of holes correlated with a number ofkeys 301 on the keyboard 300 within sheet of ABS, and injection moldinga translucent ABS through the holes to form a raised portion correlatingwith each of the number of keys 301 on the keyboard 300. Opposite theraised portions a number of runners may be machined away to accommodatefor receipt of other layers of the keyboard such as each of thepiezoelectric elements 320.

In other embodiments, the coversheet of the C-cover 335 may include aplurality of vias for keys 301 having a cover sheet 305 or cap for eachkey 301. A key pedestal for each key 301 in a solid-state keyboard ofthe present embodiments may be disposed through the vias in the C-cover335 in some example embodiments. Similarly, it is contemplated thatcoversheet layer 305 may include a touchpad via as a window for atouchpad interface surface of a solid state touchpad according toembodiments. Each haptic key of the haptic keyboard in such anembodiment may include a cover layer similar to those described directlyabove that protrudes through the key vias in the coversheet 305.Layering under the coversheet may include material layers that arehydrophobic or have other properties. Though gaps between haptic keysand key vias may be minimized, such gaps may be useful for coolingventilation of the base chassis or for allowing backlighting to framethe haptic keys. Similarly, a touchpad 302 top touch interface layer maybe attached under the coversheet 305 to seamlessly provide a designatedtouchpad area in the C-cover 335 coversheet 305. Any combination of acontinuous coversheet for haptic keys and vias in the coversheet forplacement of haptic keys of a keyboard coversheet layer 305 arecontemplated in various embodiments. Further, it is contemplated that insome embodiments one or the other of a haptic keyboard or haptictouchpad may be used with a keyboard 300 having mechanically actuatedkeys 301 or a touchpad 302 with a mechanically actuated diving boardmechanism. Any combination of the above coversheet 305 layouts describedis contemplated in embodiments described herein.

The keyboard stack up 300 may further include a C-cover substructure 335forming part of the base chassis with a cutout for keyboard 301 andtouchpad 302. The C-cover substructure 335 may be made of a rigidmaterial that prevents little or no movement. The rigidity of theC-cover substructure 335 allows the other layers within the keyboard 301to be maintained within the information handling system. In anembodiment, the C-cover substructure 335 may be made of a metal.

The keyboard stack up 300, in an embodiment, may further include anynumber of adhesive layers 315. In an embodiment, a first adhesive layer315 may mechanically couple the coversheet layer 305 to a contact foillayer 310. The first adhesive layer 315 may include the placement of theadhesive at locations that may enhance the movement and prevent thehindrance of the actuation of the coversheet layer 305 at thoselocations across the coversheet layer 305 where keys are present. In aspecific embodiment, the first adhesive layer 315 may include placingthe adhesive along borders of each of the keys as well as placing theadhesive at a central location of each of the keys.

The contact foil layer 310 is adhered to the coversheet layer 305 viathe first adhesive layer 315 may be made of any elastically resilientmaterial that, when any given key is actuated or the contact foil layer310 is bent towards a lower portion of the respective key, returns toits original state when the respective key is no longer being actuated.The contact foil layer 310 may include a number of metal traces 345formed on one or more of its surfaces that electrically andcommunicatively couples each of the keys and a correspondingpiezoelectric element 320 to a keyboard controller 326 of an informationhandling system that includes a haptic keyboard and touchpad controlsystem 132 such as described in connection with FIG. 1 . In anembodiment, the keyboard controller 326 may be a dedicated controllercommunicatively coupled to the contact foil layer 310 so as to detectelectrical charges from each of the piezoelectric elements 320 andprovide electrical haptic feedback control signals back to therespective piezoelectric elements 320. In an alternative embodiment, thekeyboard controller 326 may be a processor of the information handlingsystem that, among other computations and execution of other computerreadable program code, also executes computer readable program codeassociated with the typing profile personalization system as describedin FIG. 1 .

During operation of each key on the keyboard 301, the contact foil layer310 may receive an electrical charge from the respective piezoelectricelements 320 as they are compressed upon actuation at the metal traces345 that conduct the electrical charge to the controller 325 associatedwith the keyboard 300. The metal traces 345 formed on the contact foillayer 310 may further be used to conduct a return electrical hapticfeedback control signal from the controller 325 to the piezoelectricelements 320 so that the voltage and current of the return electricalhaptic feedback control signal may cause the piezoelectric elements 320to stretch or contract in response to a control haptic feedback signaland at varying polarities, voltages, or currents. This electricalresponse control signal to of each of the actuated piezoelectricelements 320 may cause a haptic feedback presented at each of the keysthat the user may feel. This haptic feedback may be relayed to the userwithin microseconds of the user actuating any of the keys on thekeyboard 301 such that the user physically detects a sensation that thekey was pressed. This sensation felt by the user may be present despiteno actual mechanical devices such as a scissor mechanism or other typesof keyboard mechanical devices being present among the layers of thekeyboard 301.

The keyboard stack up 300 may further include a second adhesive layer316 that mechanically couples the contact foil layer 310 to a supportplate 330. In an embodiment, the second adhesive layer 316 may includethe placement of an adhesive along borders of each piezoelectric element320 of the keyboard stack up 300. As shown in FIG. 3 , the secondadhesive layer 316 includes circular voids that conform to a shape ofeach piezoelectric element 320 within the keyboard stack up 300.

The support plate 330 may be made of rigid material such as a metal. Thesupport plate 330 prevents deformation of the keyboard stack up 300except for, in some embodiments, the contact foil layer 310,piezoelectric element 320, first adhesive layer 315, and second adhesivelayer 316 as for operation of the haptic keys. As such, the contact foillayer 310 may be allowed to detect the deformation of the piezoelectricelements 320. Additionally, a user using the keyboard 301 may feel alevel of rigidity in the keyboard 301 except that at the locations ofthe keys where the user has expected that some level of deformationoccurs when pressure is applied to provide for key actuation of thepiezoelectric element 320.

In an embodiment, the support plate 330 may include a number of cavities331 formed therein. The cavities 331 may be sized to have a relativelysmaller diameter than the diameter of each of the respectivepiezoelectric elements 320. By including these cavities 331, thepiezoelectric elements 320 may be allowed to be deformed into thecavities 331 so that the deformation of the piezoelectric element 320creates the electrical charge described herein. The metal plate of thepiezoelectric elements 320 may have a diameter greater than cavities331. Upon compression or contraction of the piezoelectric materialportions, such as a ceramic disk of the piezoelectric element 320, themetal plate may warp into or away from the cavity 331. The depth of thecavities 331 may also be selected to allow for at least a centralportion of each piezoelectric element 320 to be deflected into thecavities 331 some distance. This distance of deflection, in anembodiment, may be 0.1 mm or smaller or may be greater. In anembodiment, the cavities 331 may also be holes punched or machinedthrough the support plate 330.

In an embodiment, the support plate 330 may be secured to other rigidelements of the information handling system. In an embodiment, thesupport plate 330 may be secured to the C-cover substrate 335 via anumber of bolts, screws, or other mechanical or chemical couplingdevice. In some embodiments, the support plate 330 may be operativelycoupled to the D-cover of the information handling system.

Each of the piezoelectric elements 320 may include a first portion layerof piezoelectric material and a second portion conductive layer asdescribed herein in connection with the larger figures describing thekeys in FIG. 2 . Additionally, each piezoelectric element 320 of thekeyboard 301 may be operatively coupled to at least one metal trace 345formed on the contact foil layer 310 via a contact point such as asolder point. The contact foil layer 310 may, in a particularembodiment, include two metal traces 345 for each piezoelectric element320 at a first portion and a second portion formed in the keyboard 301.

During operation of the keyboard 301, a user may actuate a key formed onthe coversheet layer 305 of the keyboard 301 by pressing down on thatkey. As a result of the mechanical stress placed on the piezoelectricmaterial of the piezoelectric element 320 associated with the actuatedkey, an electric charge is created at the piezoelectric element 320. Theelectrical charge is carried to one or more metal traces 345 coupled tothe piezoelectric material and the metal plate of the piezoelectricelement 320 via a contact point such as a solder point. The electriccharge received at the one or more metal traces 345 may be conducted toa controller 325 by the metal trace 345 as described herein.

In an embodiment, the controller 325 may detect that electrical chargeproduced by the mechanical stress of the piezoelectric material of thepiezoelectric element 320 and send an electrical haptic feedback controlsignal back to the piezoelectric material of the piezoelectric element320. This electrical haptic feedback control signal may have a certainvoltage, current, and polarity (−,+) sufficient to render thepiezoelectric material of the piezoelectric element 320 to cause ahaptic event, movement, or sound. The electrical haptic feedback controlsignal from the controller 325 may follow the same or a different metaltrace 345 back to the piezoelectric element 320. The electrical hapticfeedback control signal may be received at the piezoelectric materialand metal plate of the piezoelectric element 320 via, for example, acontact point such as a solder point. Because the piezoelectric materialof the piezoelectric element 320 receives the electrical haptic feedbackcontrol signal from the controller 325, this causes the piezoelectricmaterial to generate a haptic event.

A response signal may be a sine wave, a square wave, a pulsed signal, orother waveform of changing current, voltage, or polarity applied to thepiezoelectric element 320. As a result of the piezoelectric materialstretching or contracting during the haptic event, the piezoelectricelement 320 warp downward or upward with respect to the cavity 331 andmay return back to a non-deformed state, thereby creating hapticfeedback felt by the user's finger. In an embodiment, the relay of theelectrical charge to the controller 325, the detection by the controller325 of the electrical charge, and the return of the electrical hapticfeedback control signal by the controller 325 to the piezoelectricelement 320 may be sufficiently quick enough for the user to feel thehaptic feedback in a manner that the user does not detect any temporaldelay between the actuation of the key and the detection of the hapticfeedback created at the piezoelectric element 320. In an embodiment, therelay of the electrical charge to the controller 325, the detection ofthe controller 325 of the electrical charge, and the return of theelectrical haptic feedback control signal by the controller 325 to thepiezoelectric element 320 may be on the order of microseconds. Thisoperation of each of the keys of the keyboard 301 may be conducted everytime the user actuates any key on the keyboard 301.

By applying voltage to each of the piezo elements 320 in a piezo haptickeyboard assembly, the controller 325 in an embodiment may control thefactors influencing a user's tactile experience, including detecting anyapplication of force applied to a key or touchpad. In some embodiments,the piezo elements 320 and controller 325 may control the amount offorce a user must use to depress a key 301 or the touch pad 302 on thecover sheet 305, the speed and force with which each of the keycaps 301returns to their neutral positions after being depressed, and the soundsuch an interaction generates, among other factors. In contrast toconventional keyboard assemblies, each of these factors may be adjusted,allowing for a wide range of tactile experiences for users viaadjustment of a haptic response control signal to the piezo elements320.

The controller 325 may receive instructions based on adjustable piezoelement settings, and apply those settings to control the ways in whicheach of the piezo elements 320 in the piezo element layer deflects. Forexample, the controller 325 may control or set the degree to which apiezo element 320 in the piezo element layer must deform before itregisters occurrence of a keystroke or a click of the touch pad 302. Thecontroller 325 in an embodiment may also set the ways in which the piezoelements 320 in the piezo element layer beneath the cover sheet 305deflect, in order to give the user a haptic experience similar to thatof a conventional keyboard, or based on user input.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a touchpad stack up 400 of aninformation handling system according to another embodiment of thepresent disclosure. As described herein, the touchpad stack up 400 mayalso have a touchpad that implements the piezoelectric elements 420described herein. The touchpad may be formed, in some embodiments, intoa touchpad cover area 402 in coversheet layer 405. Coversheet 405 mayalso have a number of keys of a keyboard 401. Coversheet 405 may haveone or both the haptic touchpad 402 and haptic keyboard 401 in someembodiments. In other embodiments, either the haptic touchpad 402 orkeyboard 401 may be a conventional system. For example, a mechanicalkeyboard 401 may be implemented with a haptic touchpad 402. In anotherembodiment, the touchpad coversheet layer 405 may be separate from anyother coversheet layer such as for the keyboard 401 or other portions ofa C-cover.

The touchpad coversheet layer 405 with designated haptic touchpadcountry 402 may be made of any type of elastically resilient material.The elastically resilient material may allow, at least, a portion of thetouchpad coversheet layer 405 to be deformed upon application of apressure from a user's finger. Upon withdraw of the pressure from theuser's finger, the material of the touchpad coversheet layer 405 is madeof allows the touchpad coversheet layer 405 of the touchpad to bend backto its pre-deformed state. In an embodiment, the resilient material mayallow the touchpad coversheet layer 405 at haptic touchpad 402 to travela distance of between 0.01 mm and 2 mm.

The arrangement of the piezoelectric elements 420 for haptic touchpad402 described herein is also shown in FIG. 4 . In the embodiment shownin FIG. 4 , piezoelectric elements 420 are placed in an array under thetouchpad of the touchpad coversheet layer 405. The placement of thepiezoelectric elements 420 in the array under the touchpad surface 402of the touchpad coversheet layer 405 may include more or less than thenumber of piezoelectric elements 420 shown. As described herein, theoperation of the touchpad may be dependent on the location and number ofpiezoelectric elements 420. During operation, a touchpad controller (notshown) similar to the controller described in connection with FIG. 3 mayreceive an electric charge from one or a plurality of piezoelectricelements 420 formed below and across the touchpad area 420 of coversheetlayer 405 so that the controller may detect one or more piezoelectricelements 420 providing a signal depending on proximity underneath an x-and y-coordinate location of the actuation location on the touchpad bythe user. The receipt of one or a plurality of electrical charges fromthese piezoelectric elements 420 may allow the controller toappropriately send a return electrical signal to any of thepiezoelectric elements 420 so that the user may detect a haptic feedbackat the location where the user has actuated the haptic touchpad 402 ofthe coversheet layer 405.

The coversheet 405 with haptic touchpad 402 may further include aC-cover substructure 435. The C-cover substructure 435 may be made of arigid material that prevents little or no movement. The rigidity of theC-cover substructure 435 allows the other layers within the touchpadstack up 400 to be maintained within the information handling system. Inan embodiment, the C-cover substructure 435 may be made to a metal.

The touchpad stack up 400, in an embodiment, may further include anynumber of adhesive layers 415. In an embodiment, a first adhesive layer415 may mechanically couple the touchpad coversheet layer 405 to acapacitive touch layer 455. The capacitive touch layer 455 may be madeof a rigid material such as a glass, biaxially-oriented polyethyleneterephthalate (BoPET) such as Mylar® produced by DUPONT®, or aglass-reinforced epoxy such as FR4 to serve a purpose as a stiffeninglayer as well. The capacitive touch layer 455 includes a grid of driveand sense lines to determine x- and y-touch locations on haptic touchpad402 by a user. The capacitive touch layer 455 may be placed within thelayers of the touchpad to distribute forces from a user's finger acrossthe surface of the touchpad coversheet layer 405 and to the nearest or aplurality of nearest piezoelectric elements 420 in the array formedbelow and across the bottom surface of the haptic touchpad 402 of thecoversheet layer 405 and capacitive touch layer 455. The stiffeningfunction of the capacitive touch stiffening layer 455 is an optionalembodiment as a rigidity of the haptic touchpad 402 may be provided byother layers as well in other embodiments.

The first adhesive layer 415 may be include the placement of theadhesive at locations that may enhance the movement and prevent thehinderance of the actuation of the touchpad coversheet layer 405 atthose locations across the touchpad coversheet layer 405 wherepiezoelectric elements 420 are present. In a specific embodiment, thefirst adhesive layer 415 may include placing the adhesive along bordersof each of the piezoelectric elements 420 as well as placing theadhesive at a central location of each of the piezoelectric elements420.

The contact foil layer 410 adhered to the touchpad coversheet layer 405via the first adhesive layer 415 may be made of any elasticallyresilient material that, when any given location at the touchpadcoversheet layer 405 is actuated or the contact foil layer 410 is benttowards a lower portion of the respective location, returns to itsoriginal state when the respective location is no longer being actuated.

In an embodiment, the contact foil layer 410 or the capacitive touchlayer 455 may include a capacitive touch layer x and y grid that detectsand measures anything that is conductive such as a user's finger. Thedrive lines and sense lines may be a grid of indium tin oxide (ITO) orother conductive materials arranged to detect capacitive changes at xand y locations across the capacitive touch layer that correspond to thetouch interface cover layer of the haptic touchpad 402. The capacitivetouch layer 455 may be a printed circuit board (PCB) layer for thedetection of the user's finger at an x- and y-coordinate location acrossthe surface of the area of the haptic touchpad 402 of the coversheetlayer 405. The capacitive touch layer 455 may be an array of drive linesand sense lines of ITO formed on the capacitive touch stiffening layer455 or on the contact foil 410 in an embodiment. Drive lines and senselines may be operatively coupled to a capacitive touch controller fordetermining x- and y-location of touches on the haptic touchpad 402. Thecapacitive touch layer can be part of the contact foil layer 410, or itsown contact touch layer 455, or part of a stiffener layer in variousembodiments.

The contact foil layer 410 may include a number of metal traces 445formed thereon that electrically and communicatively couples each of thelocations and corresponding piezoelectric elements 420 to a haptickeyboard controller (not shown) of an information handling system thatincludes a haptic feedback touchpad control system 132 such as describedin connection with FIG. 1 . Traces may be opposite the capacitive touchlayer on contact foil layer 410 in an embodiment. In an embodiment, thecontroller may be a dedicated controller communicatively coupled to thecontact foil layer 410 so as to detect electrical charges from thepiezoelectric elements 420 and provide electrical signals back to therespective piezoelectric elements 420. In an alternative embodiment, thecontroller may be a processor of the information handling system that,among other computations and execution of other computer readableprogram code, also executes computer readable program code associatedwith the haptic feedback keyboard control system 132 as described inFIG. 1 .

During operation of the touchpad, the contact foil layer 410 may receivean electrical charge from one or a plurality of piezoelectric elements420 operatively coupled underneath the metal traces 445 that conduct theelectrical charge to the controller associated with the keyboard 400.The metal traces 445 formed on the contact foil layer 410 may further beused to conduct a return electrical signal from the controller to thepiezoelectric elements 420 so that the voltage and current of the returnelectrical haptic feedback control signal may cause the piezoelectricelements 420 to return to a haptic feedback event to the touchpad area402. This haptic feedback event of the actuated piezoelectric elements420 may cause a haptic feedback presented at the actuation locationalong the touchpad coversheet layer 405 that the user may feel. Asdescribed, the response electrical signal may be a sine wave, a squarewave, a pulsed signal or other variations of voltage or polarity changesto generate a warping of a metal plate for the haptic feedback event.This haptic feedback may be relayed to the user within microseconds ofthe user actuating a location on the touchpad area 402 of the coversheetlayer 405 such that the user physically detects a sensation that thetouchpad coversheet layer 405 was pressed. This sensation felt by theuser may be present, despite no actual mechanical devices, such as aclick switch mechanism, a touchpad trigger, or other types of touchpadmechanical devices being present among the layers of the touchpad stackup 400. The haptic event in particular may feel like a click similar toa mechanical switch click upon a press for selection by a user.

The touchpad stack up 400 may further include a second adhesive layer416 that mechanically couples the contact foil layer 410 to a supportplate 430. In an embodiment, the second adhesive layer 416 may includean adhesive that includes the placement of an adhesive along borders ofeach piezoelectric element 420. As shown in FIG. 4 , the second adhesivelayer 416 includes circular voids that conform to a shape of eachpiezoelectric element 420 placed below the touchpad area 402 of thecoversheet layer 405.

The support plate 430 may be made of rigid material such as a metal. Thesupport plate 430 prevents deformation of the touchpad stack up 400except for, in some embodiments, actuation levels of deformation at thecontact foil layer 410, piezoelectric elements 420, the first adhesivelayer 415, second adhesive layer 416, and other relevant layers asdescribed. As such, the contact foil layer 410 may be allowed to detectthe deformation of the piezoelectric elements 420. Additionally, a userusing the touchpad stack up 400 may feel a level of rigidity in the areaof the haptic touchpad 402 that the user actuates with the piezoelectricelements 420 providing a haptic event to mimic the deformation to occurwhen pressure is applied.

In an embodiment, the support plate 430 may include a number of cavities431 formed therein. The cavities 431 may be sized to have a relativelysmaller diameter than the diameter of each of the respectivepiezoelectric elements 420. By including these cavities 431, thepiezoelectric elements 420 may be allowed to be deformed into thecavities 431 so that the deformation of the piezoelectric elements 420creates the electrical charge described herein to detect actuation. Thedepth of the cavities 431 may also be selected to allow for at least acentral portion of each piezoelectric elements 420 to be deflected intothe cavities 431 some distance. This distance of deflection, in anembodiment, may be 0.1 mm or smaller or greater according to embodimentsherein.

In an embodiment, the support plate 430 may be secured to other rigidelements of the information handling system. In an embodiment, thesupport plate 430 may be secured to the C-cover substructure 435 via anumber of bolts, screws, or other mechanical or chemical couplingdevice. In some embodiments, the support plate 430 may be a part of theD-cover of the information handling system.

Each of the piezoelectric elements 420 may include a layer ofpiezoelectric material and a conductive metal plate layer as describedherein in connection with the larger figures describing the keys in FIG.2 . Additionally, each piezoelectric element 420 of the touchpad stackup 400 may be operatively coupled to at least one metal trace 445 formedon the contact foil layer 410 via a contact point such as a solderpoint. In this embodiment, the conductive metal plate and thepiezoelectric materials of the piezoelectric elements 420 may each beoperatively coupled to at least one metal trace 445 formed on thecontact foil layer 410 via a contact point such as a solder point. Thus,the contact foil layer 410 may, in an embodiment, include two metaltraces 445 for each piezoelectric element 420 formed in the keyboard400.

During operation of the touchpad of the keyboard 400, a user may actuatea location across the touchpad area 402 of the coversheet layer 405 bypressing down on that location of the touchpad coversheet layer 405. Asa result of the mechanical stress placed on the location of the touchpadarea 402 of the coversheet layer 405, one or more piezoelectricmaterials of the piezoelectric elements 420 associated with a locationor neighboring locations of the actuation location may be compressed.This compression of the piezoelectric element 420 may create an electriccharge indicating actuation. The electrical charge is carried to one ormore metal traces 445 coupled to the piezoelectric elements 420 viacontact points such as solder points. The electric charge received atthe metal trace 445 may be conducted to a controller (not shown) by themetal traces 445 as described herein. In this embodiment, the controllermay detect that electrical charge produced by the mechanical stress ofthe piezoelectric material of the piezoelectric element 420 and send anelectrical signal back to the piezoelectric material of thepiezoelectric element 420. This electrical response signal may have acertain voltage, current, and polarity sufficient to cause a stretchingor contraction response to generate a haptic feedback event as describedin various embodiments herein. The electrical signal from the controllermay follow the same metal traces 445 back to the given piezoelectricelement 420. The electrical signal may be received at a conductive layerof the piezoelectric element 420 via, for example, the contact pointssuch as the solder points. As a result of the piezoelectric material maybe made rigid and the piezoelectric element 420 may return back to anon-deformed state thereby creating haptic feedback felt by the user'sfinger. This haptic feedback effect may be a click mimicking amechanical click switch. In an embodiment, the relay of the electricalcharge to the controller, the detection of the controller of theelectrical charge, and the return of the electrical signal by thecontroller to the piezoelectric element 420 may be sufficiently quickenough for the user to feel the haptic feedback in a manner that theuser does not detect any temporal delay between the actuation touchpadcoversheet layer 405 and the detection of the haptic feedback created atthe or a plurality of piezoelectric elements 420. In an embodiment, therelay of the electrical charge to the controller, the detection of thecontroller of the electrical charge, and the return of the electricalsignal by the controller to the piezoelectric element 420 may be on theorder of microseconds.

The individual piezoelectric elements 420 may cooperate within the arrayto create the haptic feedback felt by the user at the touchpadcoversheet layer 405. In some specific embodiments, the location ofactuation by the user may be detected by the capacitive touch layer(either integrated into the contact foil layer 410, a separatecapacitive touch layer 455, or with a stiffening layer) to indicate tothe controller which piezoelectric elements 420 should receive a returnelectrical signal. Along with the receipt of an electrical charge fromthe piezoelectric elements 420, the controller may cause that all or aportion of the touchpad area forming the coversheet layer 405 receivehaptic feedback. This may allow the haptic feedback to be felt by theuser across the entire surface of the touchpad area 402 of thecoversheet layer 405, across a left side of the touchpad area 402 of thecoversheet layer 405, across a right side of the touchpad area 402 ofthe coversheet layer 405, across a top portion of the touchpad area 402of the coversheet layer 405, across a bottom portion of the touchpadarea 402 of the coversheet layer 405, or any specific area across thesurface of the touchpad area 402 of the coversheet layer 405. In someembodiments, only a piezoelectric element 420 directly under the touchlocation or only piezoelectric elements 420 next to the nearestpiezoelectric element 420 under the touch location may provide a hapticfeedback event. Along with the capacitive touch layer, the piezoelectricelements 420 may allow a user to have the user's touch be detected atthe touchpad while actuation, at any location across the surface of thetouchpad coversheet layer 405 provides haptic feedback to the user sothat the user can engage in a “click” action at the touchpad such aswhen selecting an item on a graphical user interface.

In an embodiment, the keyboard 400 may, once the layers described hereinare coupled together, may be placed within the C-cover 435 with aD-cover 465 coupled thereto. The assembly of the coversheet 405, C-coversubstructure 435, and the D-cover 465 forms a base chassis of theinformation handling system. In an embodiment, the base chassis may becoupled to a display chassis 450 that may include a display device. Thetouchpad stack up 400 described herein may allow the user to provideinput to the display device of the display chassis using the capacitivetouch layer, the piezoelectric elements 420 determining actuation, andthe haptic feedback capabilities associated with the piezoelectricelements 420. By way of example, the capacitive touch layer may allow auser to move a cursor across the screen. In these examples, actuation ofthe touchpad coversheet layer 405 at a location across the touchpadcoversheet layer 405 causes an item to be selected that is representedon the display device. This “click” action may provide similar input tothe processor of the information handling system similar to that of amouse click.

FIG. 5 is a graphical diagram illustrating deformation of a plurality ofpiezo elements situated within a set area of force detection pursuant todownward force applied by a user according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure. FIG. 5 shows an information handling system 500implementing a haptic keyboard area 501 and a haptic touchpad area 502of a coversheet for a base chassis 520 of the information handlingsystem according to embodiments herein. Information handling system 500includes the base chassis 520 which may house the haptic keyboard 501and the haptic touchpad 502 including the stack up layers of each asdescribed in embodiments herein. Further, the C-cover of the basechassis 520 may include the coversheet 505 that operates to provide userinterface locations for keys of haptic keyboard 501 and for a touchpadinterface area for haptic touchpad 502. The base chassis 520 may furtherhouse components of the information handling system including processor,graphics processor, motherboard, graphics board, bus systems, power andbattery systems, wireless systems, thermal controls, data and powerports, and other components in accordance with the description of FIG. 1. Those components may be installed according to techniques understoodby those of skill. Further, base chassis 520 may be hinged to a displaychassis for housing a display device and other components according toembodiments herein.

As described herein, a separate piezo element may be situated directlybeneath each key cap within the cover sheet in some embodiments. Inother embodiments, a plurality of piezo elements may be distributedhorizontally across a layer disposed beneath the cover sheet, but theplacement of each of the plurality of piezo elements may not directlycorrespond to the location of individual keys within the cover sheet.For example, in some embodiments, a single piezo element may be situateddirectly beneath a point 504 on the cover sheet at which the userapplies a downward force. In one such embodiment, only a single piezoelement (not shown) situated directly beneath the point 504 may deform,causing the controller to register a keystroke. In another suchembodiment, the downward force applied at point 504 may cause somedeflection of piezo elements 506 or 508, situated nearby the point 504,but not directly beneath it.

In other embodiments, the point 504 on the cover sheet at which the userapplies downward force may not be situated directly above a single piezoelement. In such an embodiment, the downward force applied at point 504may cause full or partial deflection of one or more of the nearby piezoelements 506 or 508. Determination of the degree to which each of thepiezo elements 506 and 508 deflect in such embodiments may be used totriangulate the center of the downward force applied at point 504.Because some of these piezo elements may be situated beneath the basechassis top cover, where a user may rest her palms while typing, thedegree to which each of these piezo elements deflect may indicateplacement of a user's palms upon the base chassis top cover at a givenpoint in time in some embodiments.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a keyboard and touchpad useridentification system allowing information handling system access to auser having typing behaviors matching an authorized user's personaltyping profile according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.Such a personal typing profile in an embodiment may be made based onmonitored user typing behavior. In some embodiments, the personal typingprofile may also take into account recorded user-defined hapticsettings, physical surroundings indicators, and application usage data,for example. The keyboard and touchpad user identification system 626 inan embodiment may communicate with a piezo controller 651, a personaltyping profile user interface 602, one or more software applications,and a plurality of environmental sensors to develop and apply a personaltyping profile for a given user.

The piezo controller 651 in an embodiment may transmit haptic hardwaretyping or touch behavior parameters 610 to the keyboard and touchpaduser identification system 626, including metrics describing how a userinteracts with the keyboard and touchpad. As described herein, thecontroller 651 may be operably attached to a contact foil layer affixedto a plurality of piezo elements, such as 606 and 608. The plurality ofpiezo elements in an embodiment may deflect upon downward pressureapplied by the user to the keyboard or the touch pad in an embodiment.For example, a first piezo electric element 606 may be situated beneatha first region of cover sheet, such as beneath a first key within thekeyboard, and a second piezo electric element 608 may be situatedbeneath a second region of the cover sheet, such as beneath a second keywithin the keyboard. As a user applies a downward force in the firstregion (e.g., on the first key) in such an embodiment, the first piezoelement 606 may deflect, applying an electrical current to the traces ofthe contact foil layer, and generate a voltage change 607 across thecontact foil layer. The controller 651 may be operably connected to thecontact foil layer and capable of associating the voltage change 607with an indication that a keystroke above the first piezo electricelement 606 has occurred. Similarly, as the user applies a downwardforce on the second region (e.g., on the second key) in such anembodiment, the second piezo element 608 may deflect, and generate avoltage change 609 across the contact foil layer, causing the controllerto determine that a keystroke above the second piezo electric element608 has occurred.

In other embodiments, the first piezo element 606 or second piezoelement 608 may each be situated partially beneath a plurality of keyson the keyboard, or partially or fully beneath the touch pad. In stillother embodiments, one of the first piezo element 606 or the secondpiezo element 608 may be situated beneath the base chassis top coverwhere a user may rest her palms while typing. Such piezo elementssituated beneath the portion of the base chassis top cover where a userrests her palms while typing may operate to detect placement of theuser's palms by deflecting under the weight of the user's palms as sherests them.

The voltage changes 607 and 609 in embodiments may further indicate thedegree to which the piezo elements 606 and 608 deflected, indicating theforce with which the user depressed the key or the touchpad situatedatop the piezo elements 606 and 608, or the location of the user's palmson the base chassis top cover while typing. Further, by monitoring suchvoltage changes (e.g., 607 and 609) for each of the plurality of piezoelements within the piezo element layer in an embodiment, andaggregating such notifications over time, the piezo controller 651 mayidentify the locations of keystrokes and clicks for given keys or thetouch pad (e.g., roughly within the center of the key or touch pad, orcorner strikes), placement of a user's palms with respect to thekeyboard, an average duration of keystrokes or touch pad clicks, forceof keystrokes, pauses or intervals in typing, and an overall typingspeed. Detection of downward pressure at multiple piezo elements may beused in some embodiments to triangulate a strike location. This mayoccur in embodiments where a plurality of piezo elements are situatedbeneath the touch pad, or where the piezo elements are not situateddirectly beneath a single key of the keyboard. For example, the piezocontroller 651 in such an embodiment may compare voltage changes (eachindicating a different degree of deflection) across two piezo elementssituated nearby one another to determine the center of the keystroke, orthe point at which the downward deflection of the coversheet isgreatest. The piezo controller 651 or the keyboard and touchpad useridentification system 626 in an embodiment may also monitor, record, orrecognize combinations in these parameters 610 that tend to coincide inoccurrence. For example, the haptic hardware typing or touch behaviorparameters 610 in an embodiment may indicate a given user often pressesthe backspace key following a corner strike of a particular key or ofmultiple keys. As another example, the haptic hardware typing or touchbehavior parameters 610 in an embodiment may indicate a given userconsistently uses two spaces following a period, rather than one, orvice versa. As yet another example, the haptic hardware typing or touchbehavior parameters 610 may indicate the user is more likely to clickthe touch pad with her right hand, or identify a general region of thetouch pad in which the user most likely clicks.

Changes in one or more of these metrics in an embodiment may indicate achange in users. These are only a few examples of behavior parametersthat may be monitored and communicated to the typing profilepersonalization system 626 in an embodiment. Other embodimentscontemplate any monitored metrics regarding keyboard or touchpad usage.The keyboard and touchpad user identification system in an embodimentmay apply machine learning methods to detects patterns in these haptichardware typing or touch behavior parameters 610 for a known, authorizeduser of the information handling system in order to develop a personaltyping profile for that authorized user. Such a personal typing profilein an embodiment may describe aspects of that authorized user's typingbehavior that may be used to differentiate that user from other usersthat should not have access to the information handling system.

In some embodiments, the personal typing profile for an authorized usermay also be based on detected patterns in user-defined haptic settings604, physical surroundings indicators 630, or application usage data 640received simultaneously with the haptic hardware typing or touchbehavior parameters 610 by the keyboard and touchpad user identificationsystem 626. A personal typing profile determined based on an identifiedpattern that includes a combination of haptic hardware typing or touchbehavior parameters 610, user-defined haptic settings 604, physicalsurroundings indicators 630, or application usage data 640 in anembodiment may increase the likelihood of accurately distinguishing anauthorized user from another user.

The keyboard and touchpad user identification system 626 in anembodiment may also receive user-defined haptic settings 604 from thepersonal typing profile user interface 602. As described herein, byreceiving voltage or applying a varying voltage of a haptic controlsignal to each of the piezo elements in a piezo haptic keyboardassembly, a controller may control several factors influencing a user'stactile experience, including the force she must use to depress a key,the speed and force with which each of the keycaps provides a hapticresponse signal and then returns to its neutral position after beingdepressed, and the sound such an interaction generates, among otheraspects. A user may adjust each of these factors, for example, using thepersonal typing profile user interface 602 in an embodiment according totheir personal preferences. For example, a user may adjust the forcethreshold required for the controller to register that a keystroke hasoccurred, and the size of the area in which the user must apply such aforce in order for the controller to register a keystroke, for exampleas a sensitivity level and with neighboring piezo elements detectinglocation of a keystroke on a key. As another example, a user may adjustthe intensity, duration, and sharpness at which a piezo element vibratesor provides other haptic sensory feedback following registering akeystroke, and the burst count and interval of sustained vibrationsoccurring in response to use of specific applications. As the useradjusts one or more of these settings in an embodiment, the personaltyping profile user interface 602 may transmit these user-defined hapticsettings 604 to the keyboard and touchpad user identification system 626to indicate a user's preferences at a given time. These are only a fewexamples of user-defined haptic settings 604 that may be received by thetyping profile personalization system 626 in an embodiment. Otherembodiments contemplate any adjustable settings for a piezo haptickeyboard or touchpad assembly.

The keyboard and touchpad user identification system 626 in anembodiment may also receive physical surroundings indicators 630 fromone or more environmental sensors. For example, physical surroundingsindicators 630 in an embodiment may include images, videos, or ambientlight measurements captured by a camera 632. Images captured by thecamera 632 in an embodiment may be used by the camera 632, an imageprocessing application, or by the keyboard and touchpad useridentification system 626 for facial recognition, measurement ofbiometrics (e.g., infrared temperature measurement), or objectrecognition (e.g., detecting whether the user is in a crowded area). Thephysical surroundings indicators 630 in an embodiment may include suchbiometric measurements, object recognition determinations, or facialrecognition determinations. Such camera-based physical surroundingsindicators 630 in an embodiment may describe a user's ambientsurroundings, such as whether the user is in a crowded or secludedenvironment, whether the user is working in a darkened room or outsideduring the day, or whether the user's biometric measurements indicatethe user is stressed, fatigued, or relaxed, for example.

The physical surroundings indicators 630 in an embodiment may alsoinclude a determination of a current location of the informationhandling system. Such a location determination may take the form ofGlobal Positioning Satellite (GPS) coordinates, other geographiclocations (e.g., city, state, country), or known user-defined locations(e.g., work, home). Determination of the location may be made based onGPS triangulation, IP address of a connected network, or othergeolocation methods known in the art.

In an embodiment, the physical surroundings indicators 630 may alsoinclude identification of a connected network. For example, the networkinterface device 636 of the information handling system may transmit anidentification of a wired or wireless network with which it hasestablished a connection to the keyboard and touchpad useridentification system 626. Such information may be used to identify thelocation of the user, or to establish that the user is in transit. Forexample, if the network interface device 636 establishes a WLANconnection with a stationary access point over a long duration of time,it may be determined that the information handling system is roughlystationary. In contrast, if the network interface device 636 cannotestablish a WLAN or WWAN signal, and either relies on a cellular signalto connect to the internet, or does not establish a connection with theinternet at all, it may be determined the information handling system istraveling at a relatively high rate of speed (e.g., traveling via planeor car).

The physical surroundings indicators 630 in an embodiment may alsoinclude sound indicators captured by a microphone 638. A microphone 638may capture ambient sound surrounding the information handling system,or may capture voice commands spoken aloud by a user in someembodiments. Ambient sound may indicate whether a user is in arelatively secluded space or in a crowded area surrounded by otherpeople. Indicators 630 transmitted from the microphone 638 in anembodiment may also include indication that the user is engaged in anaudio conversation with another person located within the same room, viaa phone not included within the information handling system, or via avoice conferencing application running on the information handlingsystem. These are only a few examples of environmental conditionindicators that may be monitored and communicated to the keyboard andtouchpad user identification system 626 in an embodiment. Otherembodiments contemplate any information received from a sensor device,including Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, thermometers, biometricsensors (e.g., heart rate monitors, blood pressure monitors), orhumidity sensors, for example.

The keyboard and touchpad user identification system 626 in anembodiment may also receive application usage data 640 from one or moreapplications running on the information handling system. For example,the information handling system in an embodiment may run a soundsensitive software application 642 or a hot key software application644. A sound sensitive software application 642 may be one that operatesbest in quieter ambient surroundings, such as, for example, audio andvideo conferencing applications. A hot key software application 644 inan embodiment may include applications that employ one or more keys orthe touch pad to perform an action within the application, other thantyping of the letter represented by the key. For example, a computergame that uses the “F” key to fire a weapon may comprise such a hot keysoftware application 644. In other embodiments, application usage data640 may include information managed by an application, such as, forexample, a user's schedule indicating appointments, tasks, etc. Theseare only a few examples of application data usage metrics that may bemonitored and communicated to the keyboard and touchpad useridentification system 626 in an embodiment. Other embodimentscontemplate any usage metrics routinely gathered for purposes ofanalytics, security assessment, or network/enterprise optimization, forexample. In addition, the keyboard and touchpad user identificationsystem 626 may receive metrics for peripheral devices operably connectedto the information handling system and in active use. For example, theapplication usage metrics may describe whether or how a user is engagingwith an operably connected printer, mouse, removable hard drive, headmounted display, controller glove, or other gaming controller. Further,any of the behavioral parameters 610, user-defined haptic settings 604,physical surroundings indicators 630, or application usage data 640 maybe recorded at a specific information handling system (e.g., theinformation handling system upon which code instructions of the keyboardand touchpad user identification system 626 are currently beingexecuted), across a plurality of information handling systems operatedby the same user over time, or may be drawn from a plurality ofinformation handling systems operated by a plurality of users in acrowd-sourced information gathering method.

Upon receiving the haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters610, the user-defined haptic settings 604, the physical surroundingsindicators 630, and the application usage data 640 a typing profilemachine learning module 647 may be used to identify patterns in haptichardware typing or touch behavior parameters 610 that repeat, or in acombination of parameters 610, settings 604, indicators 630, or metrics640 that may be used to differentiate an authorized user from anotheruser. The typing profile machine learning module 647 in an embodimentmay detect such patterns in an embodiment based on any machine learningor neural network methodology known in the art or developed in thefuture. For example, the typing profile machine learning module 647 inan embodiment may model the relationships between each of the haptichardware typing or touch behavior parameters 610, user-defined hapticsettings 604, physical surroundings indicators 630, and applicationusage data 640 using a layered neural network topology. Such a neuralnetwork in an embodiment may include a plurality of layers, where eachlayer includes a plurality of nodes representing metric values or statesfor each of the parameters 610, and optionally, settings 604, indicators630, or usage data 640. An input layer to the neural network, forexample, may include a known, recorded set of values for each of theseparameters 610, and optionally, settings 604, indicators 630, and usagedata 640 metrics. An output layer to the neural network may include asubset of these parameters 610, and optionally, a subset of the settings604, indicators 630, and usage data 640 that are likely to be unique toan authorized user.

The typing profile machine learning module 647 in an embodiment mayattempt to determine the degree to which each of these haptic hardwaretyping or touch parameters 610, settings 604, indicators 630, and usagedata 640 metrics can be used to differentiate the authenticated userfrom other users by assigning preliminary weight matrices to each of thenodes in a given layer. Each assigned weight value in the matrix maydescribe a likelihood that one of these parameters 610, and optionally,one of the settings 604, indicators 630, and usage data 640 metricsuniquely describes the behaviors, preferences, or physical surroundingsof a specific, known, and authorized user. The neural network may bemodeled using any number of layers, and the nodes in each additionallayer may be determined based on the value of the nodes in the previouslayer and the weight matrices describing likelihood of the haptichardware typing or touch parameters 610, settings 604, indicators 630,or usage data 640 metrics may uniquely define an authorized user. Inother words, each new layer in the neural network may include aplurality of nodes representing a best guess of how each of theseparameters 610, settings 604, indicators 630, or usage data 640 metricsmay uniquely identify an authorized user or distinguish an authorizeduser from an unauthorized user. A greater number of layers within theneural network topology may decrease the likelihood of divergence(yielding unusable results), but may increase processing time. Theneural network may then produce an output layer including a plurality ofnodes, each representing a value for a haptic hardware typing or touchbehavior parameter 610, and optionally, a value for a user-definedhaptic setting 604, a physical surrounding indicator 630, or anapplication usage data 640 metric that is projected to accuratelyidentify an authorized user or to accurately distinguish between anauthorized user and an unauthorized user. The process of generating anoutput layer, based on a known set of input layer values may bedescribed herein as forward propagation. An initial forward propagationin an embodiment may project a pattern of haptic hardware typing ortouch behavior parameters 610 values recorded over a short period oftime the keyboard and touchpad user identification system identifies aslikely to distinguish an authorized user from other users. In someembodiments, such a projected pattern may also include one or morevalues of user-defined haptic settings 604, physical surroundingsindicators 630, or application usage data 640 recorded during the sameshort period of time.

The typing profile machine learning module 647 in an embodiment maycompare the values in the output layer generated in such an initialforward propagation with haptic hardware typing or touch behaviorparameters 610, user-defined haptic settings 604, physical surroundingsindicators 630, or application usage data 640 recorded during a laterperiod of time. In such a way, the typing profile machine learningmodule 647 may compare its projected pattern of haptic hardware typingor touch behavior parameters 610 unique to the authorized user withfreshly gathered haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters 610also describing the typing behavior of the same authorized user. Thetyping profile machine learning module 647 may then determine a degreeof error associated with each projected value (e.g., associated witheach node in the output layer of the neural network). In other words,the typing profile machine learning module 647 in an embodiment maycompare its projected pattern describing the behavior of the authorizeduser to more current measurements of the ways in which the sameauthorized user interacts with the keyboard and touchpad. In such a way,the typing profile machine learning module 647 may gauge the degree towhich its projected pattern matches the actual behavior of theauthorized user. The typing profile machine learning module 647 may thenuse these known error margins to adjust the weight matrices associatedwith each layer of the modeled neural network. For example, the typingprofile machine learning module 647 may perform a back-propagationmethod to adjust each of the weight matrices in order to more accuratelyreflect the likelihood that each of the values of the haptic hardwaretyping or touch behavior parameters 610 uniquely describes theauthorized user. Since the metrics of the haptic hardware typing ortouch behavior parameters 610 may repeat when an authorized user typeson the haptic keyboard or uses the haptic touch pad, the typing profilemachine learning module 647 may make an association of some combinationof haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters 610 and theirrecorded values with the authenticated user to yield an authenticateduser personal typing profile.

The typing profile machine learning module 647 in an embodiment mayperform this forward propagation and backward propagation, usingdifferent input node values repeatedly to finely tune the weightmatrices. For example, the typing profile machine learning module 647may perform this forward propagation and backward propagation repeatedlyduring a training session or initial setup period to learn patterns inone or more of these haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters610, or optionally in the user-defined haptic settings 604, physicalsurroundings indicators 630, or application usage data 640 that may beuniquely attributable to the known, authorized user. The typing profilemachine learning module 647 in an embodiment may perform such forwardand backward propagation in an embodiment until the difference betweenthe output layer values in the most recent iteration and the currentiteration fall within a preset threshold percentage of one another. Forexample, if the average value of each output node in the most recentiteration only differs by a threshold percentage value (e.g., onepercent, one-half percent, or five percent) from the value of the sameoutput node in the current iteration, it may be determined the patterndescribed by the output layer is sufficiently accurate to uniquelyidentify the authorized user. In such a scenario, the typing profilemachine learning module 647 in an embodiment may end the trainingsession, and store the output layer node values for the currentiteration as an authenticated user personal typing profile in theauthenticated user personal typing profile database 680. The storedoutput layer node values of the authenticated user personal typingprofile in the authenticated user personal typing profile database 680may then be associated with the authorized user.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of creating a personaltyping profile describing a determined pattern of haptic hardware typingor touch behavior parameter values for an authenticated user accordingto an embodiment of the present disclosure. As described herein, thepiezo haptic keyboard controller in embodiments described herein maydetect and record various metrics describing the dynamics of the piezohaptic keyboard assembly in use by a specific user over time as a meansof identifying that user. The combination of specific values (e.g.,force, location, and duration of keystrokes, or typing speed) for eachof these recorded user haptic hardware typing or touch behaviorparameters may be specific to individual users in that repeated patternsof values for the haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parametersmay emerge continuously as a user types on a haptic keyboard or uses ahaptic touchpad. Such detection of combinations of haptic hardwaretyping or touch behavior parameters may provide an accurate gauge fordistinguishing between users.

At block 702, a user identification or authentication may be received.User identification in an embodiment may include, for example, a userproviding a username and password to establish that user is authorizedto access the information handling system. In other embodiments, otherforms of user identification are contemplated. For example, useridentification may include biometric identification (e.g., fingerprintscan, retinal scan, facial recognition, voice recognition). In stillother embodiments, a user may place a key fob or signal propagatingperipheral device within a scanning area surrounding the informationhandling system, or may engage in a multi-step authentication process(e.g., additionally providing a numeric code transmitted to a known,secure device). Any known method of authentication, either currently inuse or developed in the future, that is capable of identifying anindividual user or associating an individual user with a known accountis contemplated herein.

The keyboard and touchpad user identification system in an embodimentmay determine at block 704 whether the user is associated with anestablished authenticated user personal typing profile. As describedherein, the keyboard and touchpad user identification system in anembodiment may use a machine learning method to identify a pattern ofrecorded haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters for aspecific user. Upon identification of such a pattern in an embodiment,the keyboard and touchpad user identification system may store theoutput layer node values, representing an authenticated user personaltyping profile for an individual user within the authenticated userpersonal typing profile database 780. The keyboard and touch pad useridentification system in an embodiment may access the authenticated userpersonal typing profile database 780 to determine whether the useridentified at block 702 is associated with an authenticated userpersonal typing profile. If the user is not associated with anauthenticated user personal typing profile, the method may proceed toblock 706 to begin a training session for creation of a personal typingprofile for the user identified at block 702. If the user is associatedwith an authenticated user personal typing profile in an embodiment,creation of a new personal typing profile may not be necessary, and themethod may end.

In an embodiment in which the identified user is not associated with anestablished authenticated user personal typing profile, the keyboard andtouchpad user identification system may initiate a training session,during which it may record haptic hardware typing or touch behaviorparameters received from the piezo controller over time at block 706.For example, in an embodiment described with respect to FIG. 6 , thepiezo controller 651 in an embodiment may transmit haptic hardwaretyping or touch behavior parameters 610 to the keyboard and touchpaduser identification system 626, including metrics describing how a userinteracts with the keyboard and touchpad. The piezo controller 651 in anembodiment may monitor changes in voltage magnitude or polarity (e.g.,607 or 609) occurring upon deflection of a plurality of piezo elements(e.g., 606 and 608) in an embodiment, indicating occurrence ofkeystrokes or clicks of a touch pad. The voltage changes 607 and 609 inembodiments may further indicate the degree to which the piezo elements606 and 608 deflected, indicating the force with which the userdepressed the key or the touchpad situated atop the piezo elements 606and 608. Further, by monitoring such voltage changes (e.g., 607 and 609)for each of the plurality of piezo elements within the piezo elementlayer in an embodiment, and aggregating such notifications over time,the piezo controller 651 may identify the locations of keystrokes andclicks for given keys or the touch pad (e.g., roughly within the centerof the key or touch pad, or corner strikes), an average duration ofkeystrokes or touch pad clicks, pauses or intervals in typing, and anoverall typing speed. In some embodiments, the piezo controller 651 maydetect and log occurrences when a corner strike is detected andimmediately followed by the user pressing backspace or delete. In suchan embodiment, the piezo controller 651 may also categorize theseoccurrences as potential mistypes, prompting a need for decreasedsensitivity of corner strikes at one or more piezo elements. Changes inone or more of these metrics in an embodiment may indicate a change inusers. These metrics may then be transmitted to the keyboard andtouchpad user identification system 626 as haptic hardware typing ortouch behavior parameters 610 in an embodiment.

At block 708, the keyboard and touchpad user identification system in anembodiment may record physical surroundings indicators over a period oftime. For example, in an embodiment described with reference to FIG. 6 ,the keyboard and touchpad user identification system 626 may receivephysical surroundings indicators 630 from one or more environmentalsensors. Images captured by the camera 632 in an embodiment, forexample, may describe a user's ambient surroundings, such as whether theuser is in a crowded or secluded environment, whether the user isworking in a darkened room or outside during the day, or whether theuser's biometric measurements indicate the user is stressed, fatigued,or relaxed, for example. A user's typing behavior, as reflected by thehaptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters recorded during atraining session may vary as the user becomes stressed, fatigued, orrelaxed. As another example, location data as measured by a locationsensor 634 may be included within the physical surroundings indicators630. As yet another example, the network interface device 636 of theinformation handling system may transmit an identification of a wired orwireless network with which it has established a connection. Suchinformation may be used to identify the location of the user, or toestablish that the user is in transit. In still another example, amicrophone 638 may capture ambient sound surrounding the informationhandling system, or may capture voice commands spoken aloud by a user insome embodiments. In some embodiments, this block may be skipped, andthe keyboard and touchpad user identification system may create anauthenticated user personal typing profile based solely on the haptichardware typing or touch behavior parameter values for the identifieduser gathered at block 706.

The keyboard and touchpad user identification system in an embodimentmay record application usage data over time at block 710. For example,in an embodiment described with reference to FIG. 6 , the keyboard andtouchpad user identification system 626 in an embodiment may receiveapplication usage data 640 from one or more applications (e.g., a soundsensitive software application 642 or a hot key software application644) running on the information handling system. A sound sensitivesoftware application 642 may be one that operates best in quieterambient surroundings, such as, for example, audio and video conferencingapplications. A hot key software application 644 in an embodiment mayinclude applications that employ one or more keys or the touch pad toperform an action within the application, other than typing of theletter represented by the key. The user's typing behaviors may varybased on the application in usage at a given time. For example, a usermay type more aggressively (e.g., with greater force) when playing acomputer game than when drafting a document in a word processingapplication. In some embodiments, this block may be skipped, and thekeyboard and touchpad user identification system may create anauthenticated user personal typing profile based solely on the haptichardware typing or touch behavior parameter values for the identifieduser gathered at block 706.

At block 712, the keyboard and touchpad user identification system in anembodiment may record user-defined haptic settings over time. Forexample, in an embodiment described with reference to FIG. 6 , thekeyboard and touchpad user identification system 626 in an embodimentmay receive user-defined haptic settings 604 from the personal typingprofile user interface 602. As described herein, a user may adjustseveral factors governing dynamics of the piezo haptic keyboardassembly, including, for example, the force threshold required for thecontroller to register that a keystroke has occurred, and the size ofthe area in which the user must apply such a force in order for thecontroller to register a keystroke. As another example, a user mayadjust the intensity, duration, and sharpness at which a piezo elementmoves between an upward warped position, downward position, or neutralposition following registering a keystroke, and the burst count andinterval of sustained movements occurring in response to use of specificapplications. As the user adjusts one or more of these settings in anembodiment, the personal typing profile user interface 602 may transmitthese user-defined haptic settings 604 to the keyboard and touchpad useridentification system 626 to indicate a user's preferences at a giventime.

The keyboard and touchpad user identification system in an embodimentmay user a machine learning algorithm to detect patterns in haptichardware typing or touch behavior parameters, and physical surroundingsindicators, application usage data, or user-defined haptic settings atblock 714. For example, in an embodiment described with respect to FIG.6 , upon receiving the haptic hardware typing or touch behaviorparameters 610, the user-defined haptic settings 604, the physicalsurroundings indicators 630, or the application usage data 640 a typingprofile machine learning module 647 may identify patterns in haptichardware typing or touch behavior parameters 610, or in a combination ofparameters 610, settings 604, indicators 630, or metrics 640 that may beused to differentiate an authorized user from another user. The typingprofile machine learning module 647 in an embodiment may establish anauthenticated user personal typing profile for an authorized user basedsolely on patterns detected in haptic hardware typing or touch behaviorparameters 610 over a training session, for example. The typing profilemachine learning module 647 in an embodiment may model patterns inhaptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters 610 using a layeredneural network topology. Such a neural network in an embodiment mayinclude a plurality of layers, where each layer includes a plurality ofnodes representing metric values or states for each of the haptichardware typing or touch behavior parameters 610. An input layer to theneural network, for example, may include a known, recorded set of valuesfor each of these parameters 610, as received or recorded at block 706.An output layer to the neural network may include a subset of values forthese parameters 610 that are likely to be unique to an authorized userwhen recorded simultaneously or contemporaneously in combination withone another.

The typing profile machine learning module 647 in an embodiment mayattempt to determine the degree to which the combination of this subsetof values for the haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameterscan be used to differentiate the authenticated user from other users byassigning preliminary weight matrices to each of the nodes in a givenlayer. Each assigned weight value in the matrix may describe alikelihood that one of these haptic hardware typing or touch behaviorparameter values uniquely describes the behaviors a specific, known, andauthorized user identified at block 702. The neural network may thenforward propagate to produce an output layer including a plurality ofnodes, each representing a value for a haptic hardware typing or touchbehavior parameter that is projected to accurately identify anauthorized user or to accurately distinguish between an authorized userand an unauthorized user. An initial forward propagation in anembodiment may project a pattern of haptic hardware typing or touchbehavior parameters values that the keyboard and touchpad useridentification system identifies as likely to distinguish the authorizeduser identified at block 702 from other users.

The typing profile machine learning module 647 in an embodiment maycompare the values in the output layer generated in such an initialforward propagation with haptic hardware typing or touch behaviorparameters recorded at block 706. The typing profile machine learningmodule 647 in an embodiment may perform this forward propagation andcomparison repeatedly during the period of time (e.g., training session)over which the haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters arerecorded at block 706. In such a way, the typing profile machinelearning module 647 may compare its pattern of haptic hardware typing ortouch behavior parameter values projected to be unique to the authorizeduser with freshly gathered haptic hardware typing or touch behaviorparameter values also describing the typing behavior of the sameauthorized user. The typing profile machine learning module 647 may thendetermine a degree of error associated with each projected value (e.g.,associated with each node in the output layer of the neural network). Inother words, the typing profile machine learning module 647 in anembodiment may compare its projected pattern describing the behavior ofthe authorized user to more current measurements of the ways in whichthe same authorized user interacts with the keyboard and touchpad. Insuch a way, the typing profile machine learning module 647 may gauge thedegree to which its projected pattern matches the actual behavior of theauthorized user. The typing profile machine learning module 647 may thenuse these known error margins to perform a backward propagation andadjust the weight matrices associated with each layer of the modeledneural network.

The typing profile machine learning module 647 in an embodiment mayperform such forward and backward propagation in an embodiment until thedifference between the output layer values in the most recent iterationand the current iteration fall within a preset threshold percentage ofone another. For example, if the average value of each output node inthe most recent iteration only differs by a threshold percentage value(e.g., one percent, one-half percent, or five percent) from the value ofthe same output node in the current iteration, it may be determined thepattern described by the output layer is sufficiently accurate touniquely identify the authorized user. In contrast, if the output nodeof the current iteration includes a value for a haptic hardware typingor touch behavior parameter that was not included in the output layer ofthe most recent iteration, the typing profile machine learning module647 may determine the current iteration is not sufficiently accurate touniquely identify the authorized user.

In some embodiments, the input layer for the neural network may includeone or more values for the recorded physical surroundings indicators,application usage data metrics, or user-defined haptic settings, inaddition to values for one or more haptic hardware typing or touchbehavior parameters. In such embodiments, the output layer may include acombination of values for haptic hardware typing or touch behaviorparameters and one or more values for the physical surroundingsindicators recorded at block 708, application usage data metricsrecorded at block 710, or user-defined haptic settings recorded at block712. Each of these additional indicators, metrics, and settings, whenplaced in combination with haptic hardware typing or touch behaviorparameters, may more uniquely identify a given user. For example, thephysical surroundings indicators may indicate a time of day, or whetherthe user is fatigued. The user's typing behavior, as reflected in one ormore values of haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters mayvary based on the time of day (e.g., morning vs. evening), or when theuser is fatigued. As another example, the application usage data metricsin an embodiment may describe which application (e.g., computer game vs.word processing application) the user is interacting with during thetraining session, which may also affect the user's typing behavior(e.g., more aggressive vs. less aggressive). As yet another example, theuser-defined haptic settings indicating the tactile response the userwishes to experience while typing, which may also vary based on theuser's typing behavior. More specifically, some users may unknowingly orsubconsciously increase the force used to depress keys when the tactileresponse is set to require greater downward force to registerkeystrokes. Other users may respond to the same situation by adjustingthe haptic settings to decrease the force required to registerkeystrokes, thus allowing the user to apply less force while typing.

In each of these embodiments, the output layer of the neural network mayinclude a plurality of values for haptic hardware typing or touchbehavior parameters, and optionally, for physical surroundingsindicators, application usage data metrics, or user-defined hapticsettings. The combination of these values with one another may representa pattern of values for each of these typing behavior patterns (andoptionally indicators, metrics, or settings) likely to be recordedsimultaneously with one another, or within a preset time period in whichthe known, authenticated user identified at block 702 interacts with thepiezo haptic keyboard or touchpad in the future. In other words, thecombination of node values within the output layer of the neural networkmay be used to identify when the authorized user is engaging with thepiezo haptic keyboard or touchpad in the future.

At block 716, the authenticated user may be associated with theauthenticated user personal typing profile created through machinelearning in an embodiment. For example, in an embodiment described withrespect to FIG. 6 , upon identification of a combination of output nodevalues determined to be sufficiently accurate to identify theauthenticated user, the keyboard and touchpad user identification systemin an embodiment may end the training session, and store the outputlayer node values for the current iteration in the authenticated userpersonal typing profile database 780. The stored output layer nodevalues in the authenticated user personal typing profile database 780may then be associated with the authorized user identified at block 702.The method may then end.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of continuously verifyingthe identification of an authorized user of an information handlingsystem based on measured user haptic hardware typing or touch behaviorparameters according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Asdescribed herein, one-step security systems, such as passwordprotections, provide less secure environments than multi-stepauthentication systems, or continuously authenticating systems. Thekeyboard and touchpad user identification system in an embodimentprovides such a continuously authenticating system by leveragingmonitoring of user typing or touchpad usage behavior employed in thepiezo-electric haptic keyboard systems or haptic touchpad systems towardwhich the market is being driven. The keyboard and touchpad useridentification system of the presently disclosed embodiments herein mayprovide security solely based upon haptics hardware typing parameterssuch as those of 610 in FIG. 6 , solely based upon haptics hardwaretouchpad usage parameters of 610, or a combination of typing and touchparameters at 610. Thus, use of the term keyboard and touchpad useridentification system may include embodiments where only haptic keyboardtyping dynamics are used for security identification and as described inFIG. 6, 7 , or 8. In other embodiments, the keyboard and touchpad useridentification system may refer to security identification according tothe embodiments of FIG. 6, 7 , or 8 utilizing solely haptic touchpadusage dynamics. In yet other embodiments, a combination of haptickeyboard typing dynamics, haptic touchpad usage dynamics, and othersecurity factors such as physical surrounding indicators and applicationusage data may be used with the embodiments of security identificationof FIG. 6, 7 , or 8 and one of skill may appreciate that the factors andselection of factors relating to an authenticated user personal typingprofile may be drawn from any of the above.

The keyboard and touchpad user identification system provides such acontinuous security by locking access to the information handling systemwhen the current typing behavior does not match that of an authenticateduser. For example, an authenticated user may log in to her personalcomputer, then step away momentarily. If, in such a scenario, anotherunauthorized user attempts to use that personal computer, the keyboardand touchpad user identification system may record the unauthorizeduser's typing behavior, determine it does not match the known behaviorof the authenticated user, and immediately lock access to theinformation handling system. In such a way, the keyboard and touchpaduser identification system may passively, and continuously securepersonal information stored, created, or accessed on the informationhandling system.

At block 802, a preset time period initiated following identification ofan authorized user may elapse. For example, in an embodiment describedwith reference to FIG. 7 , an authorized user may log in at block 702(or otherwise establish her identity and authority to access theinformation handling system). Further, the keyboard and touchpad useridentification system or typing profile machine learning module in suchan embodiment may engage in a training session between blocks 706 and714 to establish an authenticated user personal typing profile. At theconclusion of this training session, the authorized user may beassociated with the authenticated user personal typing profiledescribing a plurality of haptic hardware typing or touch behaviorparameter values for the identified user. The keyboard and touchpad useridentification system in an embodiment may retrieve or otherwise accesssuch an authenticated user personal typing profile for the identifieduser at block 802 after a time period has elapsed since the last typingepisode or touch episode in various embodiments.

The keyboard and touchpad user identification system in an embodimentmay receive updated haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parametersat block 804. This may begin an ongoing period of continuousauthentication, in an embodiment. This period of continuousauthentication may occur at any time following termination of theinitial time period since a typing or touch episode at 802. In someembodiments, the initial time period since a previous typing or touchepisode may not be required and the continuous monitoring may occur uponlog in by an authenticated user and the process may begin at 804. Duringthe period of ongoing continuous authentication, the keyboard andtouchpad user identification system may receive updated values for eachof the haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters describedwith reference to various figures herein. These updated haptic hardwaretyping or touch behavior parameter values may describe the typingbehavior of a current user. In some embodiments, the keyboard andtouchpad user identification system may also receive or record physicalsurroundings indicators, application usage data metrics, or user-definedhaptic settings at block 804.

At block 806, the keyboard and touchpad user identification system in anembodiment may determine whether the updated haptic hardware typing ortouch behavior parameters match the authenticated user personal typingprofile. For example, in an embodiment in which the authenticated userpersonal typing profile associated with the authenticated user includesa plurality of values for haptic hardware typing or touch behaviorparameters, the keyboard and touchpad user identification system maydetermine whether the updated values (e.g., received at block 804) foreach of the haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parametersrepresented in the personal typing profile match the values given in theauthenticated user personal typing profile. The keyboard and touchpaduser identification system in an embodiment may determine a match hasoccurred when the profile value and the updated value for a given haptichardware typing or touch behavior parameter fall within a presetthreshold percentage of one another, for example. In another embodiment,the keyboard and touchpad user identification system may determine amatch has occurred when the profile value and the updated value for amajority of haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters, or apreset threshold percentage of haptic hardware typing or touch behaviorparameters fall within the preset threshold percentage of one another.In still another embodiment the personal typing profile may also includevalues for physical surroundings indicators, application usage datametrics, or user-defined haptic settings. In such embodiments, thekeyboard and touchpad user identification system may determine a matchhas occurred only if the profile value and the updated value for one ormore of these physical surroundings indicators, application usage datametrics, or user-defined haptic settings also falls within the presentthreshold percentage of one another. If the updated haptic hardwaretyping or touch behavior parameters, or other indicators, metrics, orsettings given in the personal typing profile match the correspondingvalues within the authenticated user personal typing profile, the methodmay proceed to block 818 for updating of the authenticated user personaltyping profile. If the updated haptic hardware typing or touch behaviorparameters, or other security factors such as indicators, physicalsurroundings indicators, application usage data, metrics, or settingsgiven in the personal typing profile do not match the correspondingvalues of haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters orsecurity factors within the authenticated user personal typing profile,the method may proceed to block 808 to restrict access to theinformation handling system.

The keyboard and touchpad user identification system in an embodiment inwhich the updated haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters donot match the authenticated user personal typing profile for anauthorized user may suspend user access to the information handlingsystem at block 808. This may occur, for example, when an authorizeduser has gained access to the information handling system, steps awaymomentarily, and an unauthorized user attempts to access the informationhandling system before the authorized user is logged out. In such ascenario, the unauthorized user may effectively circumvent the initialsecurity requirement of user identification, because the unauthorizeduser accesses the system following positive identification of theauthorized user, but prior to that user being logged out. The keyboardand touchpad identification system in such an embodiment may detect theupdated haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters do not matchthe haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters associated withthe authorized user that had previously logged in, and determine asecurity breach may be in progress. In response, the keyboard andtouchpad identification system may suspend all access to the informationhandling system until the user can be reauthenticated. In such a way,the keyboard and touchpad user identification system may continuouslyand passively ensure it is the authorized user accessing the informationhandling system, rather than an unauthorized user.

At block 810, the keyboard and touchpad user identification system in anembodiment may request user re-authentication. As described herein, achange in haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters mayindicate a change of users. However, in some scenarios, a change inhaptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters may not be caused bya change in users, but rather, be caused by a change in the user'senvironment. For example, users may type differently when stationaryversus traveling, or when well-rested versus fatigued. If the trainingsession during which the authenticated user personal typing profile wascreated occurred when the user was well-rested, for example, and theupdated haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters werereceived at block 804 while the user was fatigued, the keyboard andtouchpad user identification system may determine at block 806 that theupdated haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameter values do notmatch the values given in the personal typing profile for that user,despite the fact that the authorized user is, in fact, using thekeyboard and touchpad. By prompting the user for re-authentication, thekeyboard and touchpad user identification system in an embodiment maydetermine whether it is the user's identity, or the user's environmentthat has caused the mismatch between the updated haptic hardware typingor touch behavior parameters and the personal typing profile. Thekeyboard and touchpad user identification system in an embodiment maynot allow the current user to access the information handling systemuntil responding to further prompts for identification. In otherembodiments, the keyboard and touchpad user identification system mayadditionally obscure information previously displayed on the digitaldisplay of the information handling system.

The keyboard and touchpad user identification system in an embodimentmay determine at block 812 whether the user is successfullyre-authenticated. The user should be capable of providing authenticationthat she is authorized to access the information handling system whenthe mismatch between the updated haptic hardware typing or touchbehavior parameter values and the personal typing profile for that useris caused by a change in the user's environment. If the current usercannot provide authenticating credentials, the method may proceed toblock 814 to lock access to the information handling system. If the usersuccessfully provides authenticating credentials, the method may proceedto block 816, for restoration of the user's access to the informationhandling system.

At block 814, in an embodiment in which the current user cannot provideidentifying information establishing she is the previously authenticateduser, the keyboard and touchpad user identification system may lockaccess to the information handling system. This may include logging thepreviously authorized and identified user out. In some embodiments, thismay further include automatically shutting down the information handlingsystem, encrypting data, or engaging in one or more lock down protocolsknown in the art (e.g., erasure of hard drives). The method may thenend. In such a way, the keyboard and touchpad user identification systemmay ensure security of information when it is detected an unauthorizeduser has gained access to the information handling system followingauthentication of an authorized user, but prior to such an authorizeduser being logged out. This method of monitoring haptic hardware typingor touch behavior parameter values and comparing them against personaltyping profiles for known, authorized users in an embodiment mayperformed repeatedly, continuously, and passively, during the user ofthe piezo-electric haptic keyboard. In such a way, the keyboard andtouchpad user identification system may provide a secondary layer ofsecurity continuously, and passively.

The keyboard and touchpad user identification system in an embodiment inwhich the user provides authenticating identification may restore accessto the information handling system 816. For example, in an embodiment inwhich the keyboard and touchpad user identification system disallows thecurrent user to interact with the information handling system, otherthan to respond to the prompt for user re-authentication at block 810,the keyboard and touchpad user identification system may grant the userfull access to the information handling system. In another embodiment inwhich the keyboard and touchpad user identification system obscuresinformation previously viewable on the digital display, the keyboard andtouchpad user identification system may restore the current user'sability to view that information.

At block 818, the keyboard and touchpad user identification system in anembodiment may update the authenticated user personal typing profile ofthe authenticated user based on received, updated haptic hardware typingor touch behavior parameters. The keyboard and touchpad useridentification system in an embodiment may perform such an update byadjusting the weight matrices associated with one or more nodes withinthe neural network model associated with the personal typing profile. Asdescribed herein, each of the weight matrices in such a multi-layeredneural network model may reflect the strength of an assumption that agiven haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameter value (oroptionally physical surroundings indicators, application usage datametrics, or user-defined haptic settings) or combination thereof mayuniquely identify a given user. As the frequency with which a particularnode value occurs increases, the strength of the assumption that theuser is associated with that value should also increase. Thus, theweight matrix associated with that particular node value may be adjustedto reflect this increased confidence, as that value continues toreoccur. In contrast, weight matrices associated with node valuesoccurring only infrequently, or varying widely over time may be adjustedto reflect lowered confidence in the assumption that the user isassociated with that value.

For example, the updated haptic hardware typing or touch behaviorparameter values received at block 804 in an embodiment may match valueswithin the authenticated user personal typing profile for an authorizeduser. In such a scenario, the keyboard and touchpad user identificationsystem may adjust the weight matrices associated with the nodes holdingthese values to reflect a greater likelihood that these values areuniquely associated with the authorized user. As another example, theupdated haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameter valuesreceived at block 804 may not match values within the authenticated userpersonal typing profile for an authorized user, despite the fact thatthe authorized user is still using the keyboard or touchpad if theuser's environment has changed. More specifically, the training sessionmay have occurred when the user was well-rested, for example, and theupdated haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters may havebeen received while the same user was fatigued. Upon successfullyproviding authenticating identification at block 812 in such anembodiment, the keyboard and touchpad user identification system mayupdate the weight matrices within the neural network to reflect that thenode values for that user may vary over time and with respect to certainsurrounding conditions. In such a way, the keyboard and touchpadauthentication system may continuously update and learn the user'sbehavior, in the context of the user's environment, as reflected byphysical surroundings indicators, application usage data metrics, anduser-defined haptic settings in order to more accurately identifyauthorized users in the future. The method may then end.

The blocks of the flow diagrams of FIGS. 7-8 or steps and aspects of theoperation of the embodiments herein and discussed above need not beperformed in any given or specified order. It is contemplated thatadditional blocks, steps, or functions may be added, some blocks, stepsor functions may not be performed, blocks, steps, or functions may occurcontemporaneously, and blocks, steps or functions from one flow diagrammay be performed within another flow diagram.

Devices, modules, resources, or programs that are in communication withone another need not be in continuous communication with each other,unless expressly specified otherwise. In addition, devices, modules,resources, or programs that are in communication with one another cancommunicate directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries.

Although only a few exemplary embodiments have been described in detailherein, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that manymodifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments withoutmaterially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of theembodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, all suchmodifications are intended to be included within the scope of theembodiments of the present disclosure as defined in the followingclaims. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to coverthe structures described herein as performing the recited function andnot only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures.

The above-disclosed subject matter is to be considered illustrative, andnot restrictive, and the appended claims are intended to cover any andall such modifications, enhancements, and other embodiments that fallwithin the scope of the present invention. Thus, to the maximum extentallowed by law, the scope of the present invention is to be determinedby the broadest permissible interpretation of the following claims andtheir equivalents and shall not be restricted or limited by theforegoing detailed description.

What is claimed is:
 1. A piezo haptic keyboard and touchpad useridentification system of an information handling system comprising: apiezo haptic keyboard controller operably connected to a plurality ofpiezo electric elements situated beneath a plurality of keys of thepiezo haptic keyboard and beneath a touchpad; the piezo haptic keyboardcontroller to detect initial haptic hardware typing or touch behaviorparameters describing characteristics of a plurality of deformations ofthe plurality of piezo electric elements during an initial period ofinteraction between an authorized user and the piezo haptic keyboard andthe touchpad; and a processor executing machine readable codeinstructions to identify, via machine learning, a set of values for acombination of a plurality of the haptic hardware typing or touchbehavior parameters describing characteristics of a plurality ofdeformations of the plurality of piezo electric elements that match theinitial haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters learned fromthe initial period of interaction by the authorized user with the piezohaptic keyboard and the touchpad.
 2. The piezo haptic keyboard andtouchpad user identification system of claim 1, wherein an authorizeduser personal typing profile is generated for the authorized user fromat least the detected initial haptic hardware typing or touch behaviorparameters describing characteristics of a plurality of deformations ofthe plurality of piezo electric elements.
 3. The piezo haptic keyboardand touchpad user identification system of claim 1 further comprising:the processor to associate the initial haptic hardware typing or touchbehavior parameters with the authorized user via an authorized userpersonal typing profile.
 4. The piezo haptic keyboard and touchpad useridentification system of claim 1 further comprising: the processor toreceive an authenticating user input identifying the authorized user ofthe information handling system and associate the authorized user withan authorized user personal typing profile of detected initial haptichardware typing or touch behavior parameters describing characteristicsof a plurality of deformations of the plurality of piezo electricelements.
 5. The piezo haptic keyboard and touchpad user identificationsystem of claim 2 further comprising: the processor receiving a physicalsurroundings indicator from an operably connected environmental sensorduring the initial period of interaction between the authorized user andthe piezo haptic keyboard and the touchpad; and wherein the authorizeduser personal typing profile further includes a value for the physicalsurroundings indicator.
 6. The piezo haptic keyboard and touchpad useridentification system of claim 2 further comprising: the processorrecording a software application usage metric during the initial periodof interaction between the authorized user and the piezo haptic keyboardand the touchpad; and wherein the authorized user personal typingprofile includes the software application usage metric indicating anoperating software application.
 7. The piezo haptic keyboard andtouchpad user identification system of claim 2 further comprising: theprocessor receiving a user-defined haptic keyboard setting during theinitial period of interaction between the authorized user and the piezohaptic keyboard and the touchpad; and wherein the authorized userpersonal typing profile includes the user-defined haptic keyboardsetting.
 8. The piezo haptic keyboard and touchpad user identificationsystem of claim 1 further comprising: the piezo haptic keyboardcontroller detecting an updated haptic hardware typing or touch behaviorparameter value during a later period of interaction with the piezohaptic keyboard and the touchpad; the processor determining the updatedhaptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameter value differs from avalue for the corresponding initial haptic hardware typing or touchbehavior parameters describing characteristics of the plurality ofdeformations of the plurality of piezo electric elements by a presetthreshold percentage; and the processor denying access to theinformation handling system.
 9. A method of user identification based onpiezo haptic keyboard operation dynamics comprising: detecting, via apiezo haptic keyboard controller operably connected to a plurality ofpiezo electric elements situated beneath a plurality of keys of a piezohaptic keyboard, a recorded haptic hardware typing behavior parametervalue describing interaction between a user and a piezo haptic keyboard;determining, via a processor, that the recorded haptic hardware typingbehavior parameter value differs by a preset threshold percentage from apreset haptic hardware typing behavior parameter value within anauthenticated user personal typing profile associated with anauthenticated user; wherein the authenticated user personal typingprofile includes initial haptic hardware typing behavior parametersdescribing characteristics of a plurality of deformations of theplurality of piezo electric elements identified by the processor, viamachine learning; and denying the user access to an information handlingsystem.
 10. The method of claim 9 further comprising: prompting andreceiving, via a graphical user interface, an updated authenticatinguser input identifying an authorized user of the information handlingsystem; and restoring access of the information handling system to theuser.
 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the haptic hardware typingbehavior parameters describe a location on the piezo electric element ofa downward force applied by the authorized user to deform one of theplurality of piezo electric elements.
 12. The method of claim 9, whereinthe haptic hardware typing behavior parameters describe a duration of adownward force applied by the authorized user to deform one of theplurality of piezo electric elements.
 13. The method of claim 9, whereinthe haptic hardware typing behavior parameters describe a typing speed.14. The method of claim 9, wherein the haptic hardware typing behaviorparameters describe a placement of the palms of the user with respect tothe piezo electric element.
 15. The method of claim 9, wherein thehaptic hardware typing behavior parameters describe a repeated erroneousstroke for a specific key within the piezo haptic keyboard.
 16. A piezohaptic keyboard and touchpad user identification system of aninformation handling system comprising: a piezo haptic keyboardcontroller operably connected to a plurality of piezo electric elementssituated beneath a plurality of keys of the piezo haptic keyboard andbeneath a touchpad; the piezo haptic keyboard controller to detectinitial haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters describingcharacteristics of a plurality of deformations of the plurality of piezoelectric elements during an initial period of interaction between anauthorized user and the piezo haptic keyboard and the touchpad; aprocessor executing machine readable code instructions to identify theauthorized user, via machine learning, by matching a set of values for acombination of a plurality of the haptic hardware typing or touchbehavior parameters describing characteristics of a plurality ofdeformations of the plurality of piezo electric elements to the initialhaptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameters learned from theinitial period of interaction by the authorized user with the piezohaptic keyboard and the touchpad; the piezo haptic keyboard controllerto detect an updated set of haptic hardware typing or touch behaviorparameter values during a later period of interaction with the piezohaptic keyboard and the touchpad; the processor to determine that theupdated haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parameter values differfrom the set of values for the corresponding initial haptic hardwaretyping or touch behavior parameter values describing characteristics ofthe plurality of deformations of the plurality of piezo electricelements by a preset threshold percentage of parameter values; and theprocessor to deny access to the information handling system.
 17. Thepiezo haptic keyboard and touchpad user identification system of claim16 further comprising: the processor to prompt and receive an updatedauthenticating user input identifying an authorized user of theinformation handling system; and the processor to restore access to theinformation handling system and update the authenticated user personaltyping profile.
 18. The piezo haptic keyboard and touchpad useridentification system of claim 17 further comprising: the processor toidentify, via machine learning, an updated pattern of the updated set ofvalues for describing characteristics of the plurality of deformationsof the plurality of piezo electric elements including a portion of theplurality of the initial haptic hardware typing or touch behaviorparameters and a portion of the updated haptic hardware typing or touchbehavior parameters; and the processor associating the authorized userwith the updated pattern of the updated set of values.
 19. The piezohaptic keyboard and touchpad user identification system of claim 16,wherein the initial haptic hardware typing or touch behavior parametersdescribe a time period elapsing between clicks of a double click of thetouchpad.
 20. The piezo haptic keyboard and touchpad user identificationsystem of claim 16, wherein the initial haptic hardware typing or touchbehavior parameters describe a downward force applied by the authorizeduser to deform one of the plurality of piezo electric elements.